Hey, that folks. It is Wednesday, February eighteenth, Stephen Colbert. He is leaving the Late Show in a few months, but he is not gonna go quietly, apparently, and a public war of words and statements has erupted. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. CBS versus Colbert is playing out quite publicly. This is no, no, it's not necessarily funny. He's made some funny remarks.
But you hate to see this, but I appreciate his freedom. He is free.
He is free to say what he wants because he has already been told Baye. And so now he actually sits in a very comfortable spot. It's that place when you know you literally have nothing to lose. And if he wants to burn the house down as he goes, he kind of can.
You know what? You know what? We want to make sure and you won't let you hear it all if you haven't heard. But he's not burning down the house. I thought now he could have. I thought he brought the temperature down a little bit on night too. And what we're talking about, folks. Stephen Colbert, lay show host, of course, has publicly accused CBS of squashing an interview he had scheduled for Monday's show. But now CBS has come out and refuted that, saying the network did not
kill the interview. So Colbert came back in response to that last night and called BS on c B s is where we are, so Robes. So your point about the freedom. Yes, late last year they announced he was going to be the show was going to go away in May. He's a few months away. But the backstory here, Robes. He's trying to he was trying to do an interview with a candidate quite frankly nobody's heard of on a national level.
Correct, And he was told that he could not air that interview on CBS because of well, something that is kind of nebulous at this point in terms of where it should be applied. But this equal time rule that we've heard FCC chairman kind of talk about when it comes to shows that weren't under this rule that broadcast networks are. When you are a news program, you cannot give in an election year, one candidate from a party airtime and not give that equal opportunity to a candidate
from the other party. That makes sense. You don't want to have a unevenly weighted news program where people aren't given the option to see both sides or to hear both sides.
Standard stuff, long standing understood.
Yes, yes, so that has not typically applied to entertainment shows, late night shows, talk shows. These are shows that aren't deemed as basically I'm just saying, like objective news programs, these are not the same. Cable news also doesn't apply because they're not con considered places.
Where people would go to for objective news coverage.
Yes, and this has been a long standing rule on new broadcast that works. This is where this counts in broadcast. You cannot simply it's a good rule, and I understand it why it needs to be equal time. Fine, but this is a long standing tradition, long standing. So yes, Carr is threatening this. So Colbert is claiming that CBS killed an interview he was going to do with a guy by the name of James Tillerica.
I got his name right to Allarica, Like, yes, we actually had to look it up because he's Look, he's a Texas state representative and that's not typically going to be a household name nationwide.
But it's relevant now because of a Senate race down there that is relevant. Jasmine Crockett has gotten into it. He's a Democrat, James to Allerico, but they are going up for the seat that John Cornin holds. This is a big deal, a national race. Can they flip this seat? That is why James Tallerico is relevant. So he was scheduled Robes to do an interview that was going to
air on the show on Monday. That did not happen, and they end up still putting it somewhere for people to see it, but it wasn't on the broadcast.
Yes, they put it actually on the YouTube channel correct that is associated with the Colbert Show. But Colbert instead of just going quietly, which I would say typically if he were in a contract year wanted to stay with the network, this probably wouldn't be something we would see him air out. Look, a lot of things happen behind the scenes. We've been in the news business where we've had interviews that have been shelved, stories that they've said aren't fit for air.
That does happen, and you don't really get.
To talk about it publicly because you're having a relationship and a conversation and an understanding with your boss about what's appropriate and what's not. So it is interesting to see him now have the license and really have the platform to say exactly what is going on behind the scenes and call people out for things that he doesn't think are correct, including the people who write his paychecks or sign his page.
And this is what he said on Monday that started at all after announcing I think Jennifer Garney was going to be on the show, he said, quote, you know who was not on Who is not one of my guests tonight. That's Texas State Representative James Tillericho. He was supposed to be here, but we were told in no uncertain terms by our network's lawyers, who called us directly,
that we could not have him on the broadcast. Then I was told in some uncertain terms that not only could I not have him on, I could not mention me not having him on. And because my network clearly doesn't want us to talk about this, let's talk about this. That's how he opened the segment. So your kind of eyes got big, like, WHOA, where's he going? He cracks a joke but ropes throughout this thing. He was fiery, and he looked pissed.
Yeah, and wouldn't you say, though I know we said, or you said, he's not burning the house down. But if Stephen Colbert weren't in the position he's in now, wouldn't you say, that would almost be, if not assuredly be a fireable offense.
Spend the bullefens at least.
Yes, So he did something that we would never see someone do who is employed by a major company, who wants to stay employed by said major company. But he then explained the equal time role like we just did, and then said, call this what this is? Donald Trump's administration wants to silence anyone who says anything bad about Trump on TV boom.
So he is talking about his own network, caving to a threat from the FCC chair who, of course, is just trying to protect his boss. The next statement here, Robes is one, Yes, I mean it's powerful. It really is a relevant statement that we should all pay attention to rogues because a lot of networks and companies are dealing with his exact thing.
That's right, because he pointed out the FCC chairman, Brendan Carr only threatened to get rid of equal time. He didn't, he didn't make a change, He didn't say this is enforceable. He has suggested basically in a series of posts on x and social media, when he sees something he doesn't like, he threatens it.
He kind of dangles it. But it hasn't actually happened.
And so Colbert pointed that out and said car only threatened to get rid of equal time, but my network is unilaterally enforcing it, as if he had wow, and then went on to say, this decision is purely financial.
The threat worked. This is going to be important over the next couple of years of this administration. If things like this are going to happen, what do you do? They didn't they We don't have to come after you. We don't have to revoke your license, we don't have to sue you. All we got to do is threaten you, and you'll get in line. That networks are going to have a lot of people don't have to grapple.
With it because a lawsuit and threatening a lawsuit, and we've seen what happens when the Trump administration threatens a lawsuit, They almost certainly follow through with it if you continue
said behavior or conduct that they deemed inappropriate. So you're right by just threatening a lawsuit any company, any media company, especially where profits are probably already thin, they are not going to want to poke the bear and take on the financial the significant financial cost of even fighting a lawsuit.
They want to avoid lawsuits.
Completely, and so in order to avoid the lawsuit, just go ahead and cower power to that threat.
This is concerning, And he pointed out and when he made that statement, there were no jokes attached to it. That was a very serious statement. He wanted to get out. But that was Monday, So come Tuesday, Robes, CBS responds to what he said on the air and essentially saying Nope, that's not what happened.
Yes, CBS News put out this statement in response to their employee, Stephen Colbert. The Late Show was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Representative James Talerico. The show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal time rule for two other candidates, including Representative Jasmine Crockett, and presented options for how the for how the equal time for the other candidates could
be fulfilled. The Late Show decided to present the interview through its YouTube channel, with on air promotion on the broadcast rather than potentially providing the equal time options.
Huh, what do you make of again, We're going to get into He responded to this as well, they got guidance to who other so they were telling them you might get sued. And they're saying the decision was solely up to the late show. Correct.
I think that they were saying, we would like you then to consider putting on these other candidates. Well, when someone says you should con and it's your boss, that means you have to.
I mean that's the way I would take it. For sure.
You can use whatever language you'd like, but when the person who is your boss or who is signing your checks tells you you should consider this, that means you need to do it. And so yes, I read that as them saying, so, if you have Tillerico on, you need to also consider You're going to have to consider putting these other two candidates on your show as well.
Man, And they said, no, okay, so what do you do there?
Because yeah, he said he's never in his twenty something years, he did say that has ever ever been told he has to consider putting on other candidates if he has someone on from one side of the aisle he.
Did, he said, has never happened to him. Maybe this is where we are. I don't know what the response is going to be, but he excuse me from CBS now, because last night Stephen Colbert, as you just said, hopped on again and he in Ropes. He had some comments here that were a little I would say, disturbing if true, and gives us some insight into the relationship between Colbert and CBS. Stay here, we'll explain what he said, and
we continue here on Amy and TJ. Stephen Colbert is in a very public war of words with his own network right now, as we've been talking about in Robes. He responded to the CBS statement essentially saying that, no, we didn't make him take this interview down. We didn't tell him he had to take it down. We just told him. It sounds like Robes. They told him, sure, knock yourself out, but you have to put these other two candidates on, and they didn't want to do that.
That's what it sounded like.
To me.
Okay, right, I'm just making yes.
But Stephen Colbert is saying, I've never been told I have to put on other people to compensate for having someone on who I'd like to have on my show.
Yes, okay, So CBS statement Robes they put out saying no, we didn't force him and explaining it. He seemed perplexed last night and responding to that. First of all, he read the entire statement on his show, but he seemed, at least to me, Robes perplexed as to why they would do that, And he said they put that statement out without talking to him.
I mean, he basically called them liars.
Damn. Okay, you can get right to it if you like to. I didn't want to get that was strong. But you're right. I'm saying yes, no matter how many words I use. Over here, he's saying, no, that is not what happened.
I mean you said that CBS was. He said they were full of bs. So yeah, I mean it's he's we're all pointing in the same direction.
Uh okay, So here you go. You were talking about he said, yes, he'd never been asked to do the equal time rule. He said, quote, I was really I was willing to let the whole thing go without ever, he said, excuse me, he was willing to let the whole thing go, but then they put out of this statement without ever talking to me. The corporation put out this statement. He holds this thing up, he says, it's a surprisingly small statement for how many butts it's trying
to cover. Robes. I was surprised as he explained that the thing they're saying they're upset about, and how he explained the story the night before. They approved every single word of his script, and so now they're putting out a statement saying, oh no, what he said wasn't correct. Robes. We've been standards and practices. A lawyer, somebody looks through every word he's claiming. Everything he has said on TV went through the lawyers.
And the interesting thing is this show is not live on the air. This show is taped and then broadcast. So there was and there always is time to make adjustments. If they didn't like what he said, they could have refused to let it go up. They could have asked him to retape or change something or take something out. There was time for them to make decisions even after he recorded that episode.
You know what, I didn't check to make sure. I don't think it's the case, but I mean, yeah, even if it's a tight turn to get it brought. No, there is no tight turn. What are we talking about? They take it at five or something in the afternoon. I'm thinking about coasts and what. No, you have hours to decide. You even can see what the East Coast reaction is on Twitter and change it for central. You got time to do that if you want to row. Okay, now.
Ya?
Yeah?
So he said he did everything right, he said, didn't he use the word? He obeyed the network and he still got publicly spanked.
And then he spanked them back. This is a public back and forth. But Robes, I thought it was good. He at least used a line in there at one point where he said, I don't want to at war with my employer or my network. He said, I've never had an adversarial relationship, and I don't want to have one. Now. I thought there was a seriousness in the tone in that moment, and there were points throughout when he was
doing this and he was sitting at the desk. This wasn't the monologue where he seemed genuinely upset, not an angry way, but almost hurt and disappointed.
Yes, and even perplexed like a gas like Wait, I'm so confused if CBS approved every word of my monologue and I used their language, not mine, and they still put out a statement after the fact that seems like there's some pr war going on. There's no one's actually basing this on a foundation of good faith. This seems to be about one upping one another in the public good faith.
It's gone.
That's gone, completely out the door.
That's gone, especially after he had his little dog crap analogy.
Oh yeah, I forgot to even mention that he what's the line there? You see it?
He said.
For the lawyers to release this without even talking to me is surprising. I don't even know what to do with this crap. And then he had a little little doggy bag. All of us dog owners know what it's like, and we have to bend down and pick up the crap on the side of the sidewalk.
He did that thing very carefully with that CBS statement. Picking up makes me want to watch tonight, though.
Look, he's got three months, give or take left, and I can't see a scenario in which CBS would do themselves any favors by punishing him, by taking him off early or canceling his show right now, Like I feel like you never know. I mean, I was just imagining and at this point he'd probably say, who cares? I mean, I think he would care, but he's he is making a decision to now go on the air and just be transparent, which is not something that you can typically
do in these types of situations. But honestly, given what we've seen with networks, newspapers, lots of folks now changing how they cover things, perhaps even or what they say, or just being extra careful, this is refreshing to at least see someone like Stephen Colbert kind of just laying it all out there and saying, here is what's happening behind the scenes.
FYI.
I appreciate for one, and it is entertaining, but it's also important. I think both can be true. Well, thank you, as always everyone for listening to us. We will continue to be watching the developments over at CBS News along with so many other stories, so continue.
To check our feed.
We are always on top of things on Ami Robac alongside TJ.
Holmes. We'll talk to you soon.