What to know about the 'equal time' rule Stephen Colbert says led CBS to pull his Talarico interview

Stephen Colbert's comments that network executives pulled his interview with Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico over fears it would violate regulatory guidance from the Trump administration has prompted a conversation about the rules governing how media outlets treat political coverage. The concern about the interview, which the late-night host referenced in his Monday night show and later posted in full online, stems from a requirement that broadcast stations give equal time to political candidates when they appear on-air. Although there are multiple exemptions to the provision, the Trump administration through the Federal Communications Commission — which regulates the nation's airwaves — has been moving to clamp down specifically on programs like Colbert's, which the agency has suggested may be “motivated by partisan purposes.”