On Tuesday, a Democratic FCC commissioner accused Paramount Skydance (NASDAQ:PSKY) of yielding to political pressure after Stephen Colbert said CBS barred him from airing an interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico.
Anna Gomez Raises First Amendment Concerns
Federal Communications Commission member Anna Gomez criticized Paramount, the parent company of CBS, calling the alleged decision a “troubling example of corporate capitulation,” The Hill reported.
“The FCC has no lawful authority to pressure broadcasters for political purposes or to create a climate that chills free expression,” Gomez said in a statement.
She added that CBS is fully protected by the First Amendment in deciding which interviews to broadcast.
Gomez noted that while Paramount may have regulatory matters pending before the government, “corporate interests cannot justify retreating from airing newsworthy content.”
Paramount did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.
Stephen Colbert Says CBS Lawyers Blocked Interview
On Monday’s episode of “The Late Show,” host Colbert told viewers that network lawyers informed him “in no uncertain terms” that he could not air an interview with Talarico.
“Not only could I not have him on, I could not mention me not having him on,” Colbert said.
Colbert speculated that Paramount may not want to antagonize FCC Chair Brendan Carr, who has floated revisiting rules that exempt talk shows from equal-time requirements for political candidates.
Talarico later posted on social media that the episode shows “Trump is worried we’re about to flip Texas.”
FCC Equal-Time Review And Colbert Show Cancellation
Last month, it was reported that the FCC is reviewing whether Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) owned ABC’s “The View” violated equal-time rules after Talarico appeared on the program.
Meanwhile, Colbert’s show was canceled last year and is scheduled to end its run this spring.
CBS’s move to cancel the show came after Colbert’s criticism of Paramount for settling a $16 million lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump.
Price Action: Paramount shares gained 4.94% during Tuesday’s regular session and another 0.50% in after-hours trading, according to Benzinga Pro.
PSKY shows a sustained downward price trend across the short, medium and long term, while earning a strong Value score, according to Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Adam McCullough / Shutterstock.com
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