Navarro: Democratic president may use 'selective' FCC enforcement against talk radio

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Hill

02/19/26 6:24 PM ET


TV host Ana Navarro warned there could be repercussions for Republican radio programs after controversy surrounding a CBS interview with a Democratic candidate from Texas.

Stephen Colbert accused the network of blocking “The Late Show” from airing his conversation with Texas state Rep. James Talarico (D), saying CBS would only allow the show to post the segment on YouTube. The network has denied Colbert’s claims.

“The Late Show was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Rep. James Talarico,” a spokesperson for the network said. “The show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC [Federal Communications Commission] equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett [D-Texas], and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled.” Talarico is running against Crockett in the Texas Democratic Senate primary.

During a Wednesday evening panel of CNN’s “NewsNight,” Navarro, the co-host of “The View,” called the FCC’s rule “outdated” and accused the administration of “selective” application. “Well, you know what? There may be a president in the next term who decides that he wants to, or she wants to, apply it to talk radio, and let’s see how Republicans like that,” Navarro said.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5746555-cbs-blocks-colbert-interview/

[RandySF]

1. In my wildest dreams.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. You and me both!

[SunSeeker]

3. Make it so!

[surfered]

4. They're projecting again

[samsingh]

5. if we have an ounce of intelligence we will go after right wing radio, fox, and every right-wing

rag out there.

[mdbl]

7. But the general public lacks intelligence

I learned that when Mush Bimbo became big on talk radio. It's been downhill ever since.

[liberalla]

6. Yes please!!!

[Ray Bruns]

8. You got that goddamn right!

[Grins]

9. "...could trigger the FCC equal-time rule." Questions...

- Isn't that the "Fairness Doctrine?" That Reagan blew to shit in 1987.*

- And in the following 39-years, when has the FCC ever pulled that trigger?

- And out of whose ass did CBS pull that nugget?

* Fun fact: The two federal judges who helped Reagan kill the Fairness Doctrine? Antonin Scalia, and Robert Bork.

[onenote]

11. No, the equal time rule is not the same as the fairness doctrine.

The equal time rule is a statutory requirement that has its origins in the 1927 Radio Act and was retained as part of the Communications Act of 1934. It applies to "uses" -- e.g. appearances -- by legally qualified candidates on broadcast radio or television stations, subject to various exceptions, occurring during a specified window preceding an election.
As a communications attorney for more than four decades, I can confirm that the repeal of the fairness doctrine has not stopped broadcasters from receiving and complying with non-exempt equal time requests.

The Fairness Doctrine was an FCC- created policy, first established in 1948, that required broadcast tv and radio stations to cover "controversial issues of public importance" in a manner that fairly reflected differing viewpoints -- as determined by the broadcaster in its discretion. And, as a communications attorney for more than than four decades, I can confirm that the impact of the fairness doctrine was not nearly as significant as some claim.

[FakeNoose]

10. "Selective enforcement" has been the problem all along

... because that's what brought in Rush Limbaugh's Repuke radio, and all of his horrible imitators.

Selective enforcement means no enforcement whenever the performers meet the approval of political leaders.