Equal Time Comes for Radio

The FCC says the rule applies. The real question is whether it will.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr says the equal time rule isn’t just for TV. It applies to radio, too.

“We haven’t seen the same issues on the radio side,” Carr said Wednesday. “But the equal time rule applies across broadcast. And we’ll look at anything that comes up.”

This follows Stephen Colbert’s claim that CBS wouldn’t let him air an interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico as primary voting begins. In January, the FCC issued an advisory reminding broadcasters that not all entertainment programs qualify for the “news exemption” under equal time rules. Colbert says that the warning rattled CBS. He argues the threat alone led the network to pull back.

CBS disputes that. The network says it didn’t pressure Colbert and gave him options — including offering equal time to other candidates. It’s also worth noting that Jasmine Crockett has appeared on the show twice. Critics say CBS may have been extra cautious because its parent company, Paramount Skydance, wants federal approval for a multibillion-dollar merger. Colbert rejected CBS’s explanation on-air the next night, calling it “crap.”

Carr says he’s been “highly entertained” by the whole episode. He suggests Colbert hasn’t told the full story and says it looks like Colbert and Talarico used the dispute to drive attention — and fundraising. That framing has been parroted on MAGA social media, and even among some liberals who suspect that this is a plot to sideline Crockett.

The FCC says talk shows can apply for the news exemption. Carr says none have. He also confirmed the agency has opened an investigation into ABC’s “The View” over an earlier Talarico appearance.

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez sees a pattern. She says the Trump administration is pressuring broadcasters with what she calls baseless inquiries into content it doesn’t like.

“Keeping everybody on their toes, forcing them to pay for lawyers, forcing them to respond to agency inquiries — it’s all part of bringing these broadcasters to heel,” Gomez said.

Some Democrats argue that if liberal-leaning shows are going to face scrutiny, conservative talk radio should, too. Carr insists the rule applies equally. Whether he really means it is an open question.

Gomez also cautioned against expanding the fight to radio at all. The First Amendment provides all of us with a valuable tool in the form of the off-switch.

“The equal time rules apply equally across broadcasters and radio,” Gomez said. “But we should respect the First Amendment. There’s plenty of content on radio I’m not fond of. That’s why I don’t listen. I can go somewhere else.”

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