CBS dunks Colbert segment after equal-time complaint

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Bob F

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Feb 17, 2026, 8:46:32 AM (6 days ago) Feb 17
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Stephen post-produced an explanation ('toob) for air about the feds' objection to network lawyers over an interview with Texas state senator (running in the Democratic primary for John Cornyn's seat in the US Senate, with Rep. Jasmine Crockett as one of his opponents) James Talarico... Youtube, tho, has the segment clean and green ('toob):
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Mark Jeffries

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Feb 17, 2026, 9:14:15 AM (6 days ago) Feb 17
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It would have been better if Colbert had just done a straight-to-camera, no studio audience explanation of the whole thing, with no graphics, no cued boos from the audience and no gratuitous Arby's joke (what is it with Colbert and chain restaurants--doesn't he realize who some of his advertisers are?). It's like he can't do anything without his shtick.

And for those of you who have been at a taping--those are cued boos, aren't they?
 
Mark Jeffries


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John Edwards

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Feb 17, 2026, 1:10:31 PM (6 days ago) Feb 17
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I’ve only been to one taping, but as I recall the boos weren’t cued. The audience is coached to be very loud before the taping starts but I don’t recall anything specific. 

They really don’t need to, though, since anybody who is going knows *exactly* what the drill is. 

John 


On Tue, Feb 17, 2026 at 5:14 PM Mark Jeffries <spotl...@gmail.com> wrote:

And for those of you who have been at a taping--those are cued boos, aren't they?
 
Mark Jeffries


On Tue, Feb 17, 2026 at 7:46 AM 'Bob F' via TVorNotTV <tvor...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
Stephen post-produced an explanation ('toob) for air about the feds' objection to network lawyers over an interview with Texas state senator (running in the Democratic primary for John Cornyn's seat in the US Senate, with Rep. Jasmine Crockett as one of his opponents) James Talarico... Youtube, tho, has the segment clean and green ('toob):
B

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Bob F

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Feb 17, 2026, 8:14:43 PM (6 days ago) Feb 17
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All that means is that the lawyers were Johnny(!) on the spot with their advice to Steve straightaway the segment concluded, and since the crowd was still in their seats expecting the featured guest Jen Garner, they got to partake in the explanation pronto, contradicting my earlier position that it was afterward as Mark wished... CBS issued a statement clarifying that they would have liked that Steve plan to have the other candidates on later shows to satisfy the equal-time requirement, but that he made the decision to move the segment to the 'toob:
https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/just-in-cbs-hits-back-at-colbert-over-yanked-talarico-interview-claim/ (link)
Remember, it's been three weeks or so since the FCC chairman put his (webbed) foot down...
B

Mark Jeffries, to moi, Feb 17th:

Bob F

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Feb 17, 2026, 8:36:26 PM (6 days ago) Feb 17
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And just in case you were wondering, Jon Ossoff, US senator from Georgia whom Sue T says is still slated for appearance tomorrow (2/18), is not yet a "legally qualified candidate" for purposes of equal-time and other rules (he can't officially file as one till March under the state's rules), so he can still be on:
https://latenighter.com/news/jon-ossoffs-colbert-fcc-equal-time/ (link)
B

Moi, Feb 17th:

PGage

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Feb 17, 2026, 8:54:04 PM (6 days ago) Feb 17
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Aside from the boos and the Arby’s joke, which I think has some history of either Colbert or Stewart making an arbitrary dig which amused them and became a recurring but, but which I thought got tired quickly), I kind of liked the way he handled it. This was Colbert not really bashing Trump (well, not mostly bashing Trump) but bashing his own bosses, and for me played more like Dave going after GE.

Sent from Gmail Mobile


Dave Sikula

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Feb 17, 2026, 11:15:52 PM (5 days ago) Feb 17
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I generally like Colbert, but find myself disliking TLS more and more as it nears its end, mainly because of the trained seals in the audience who applaud madly and bark at every cue they're given. (I'll leave mostly unmentioned the guests who have been coming on and gushing over him for saving civilization.)

--Dave Sikula

JW

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Feb 18, 2026, 2:46:36 AM (5 days ago) Feb 18
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Colbert had more to say on Tuesday's show, including a mention that the CBS lawyers had approved Monday's script.


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