Alrighty, folks! So, we’re diving into some spicy political tea today—Stephen Colbert's out here breaking rules like a kid in a candy store! He had a sit-down planned with a Texas Democratic candidate, but CBS was like, "Nuh-uh, bucko!" because of the FCC’s equal time rule. But wait, there’s a plot twist! Colbert took that convo to YouTube instead—'cause who needs TV rules when you’ve got the internet, am I right? 😂 I also share my own wild ride with political candidates wanting airtime. Spoiler alert: no interviews here, just a sprinkle of regulations and a whole lotta laughs. Plus, I’ve got some hilarious voicemails from listeners who don’t hold back—like, wowza! So buckle up for a fun ride filled with giggles, politics, and a little bit of chaos! 🎉

Takeaways:

• Stephen Colbert's political interview fiasco shows how wild FCC rules can be, right?
• Got some voicemails from listeners that are absolute gems, one even mentions shipping me to Russia!
• Equal time rules are like that annoying friend who always wants to be included—hard to deal with!
• I like poking fun at both sides, but apparently, some folks just can't handle the truth!
• Listeners think I'm a flaming liberal? Well, I guess I need to spice it up a bit!
• Wishing you a good morning is now a regulated affair—thanks, FCC, for the added pressure!

Good morning.

It's Haystack.

And late night host Stephen Colbert has stirred up more controversy after revealing that he had planned to interview a Democratic Senate candidate in Texas.

A James Talarico.

And the CBS network told him, no, you can't do that because it could violate the Federal Communications Commission's equal time rule, which is a regulation to require broadcast outlets to offer comparable airtime to all political candidates in a race.

Colbert said that the network lawyers told him he can't have him on the show, he can't mention the cancellation on the show.

So he recorded the interview and posted it on YouTube, where equal time provisions do not apply.

I actually had someone reach out to me on Facebook messenger the other day and say, somebody's running.

It was a local office.

I'm not gonna say which office or which candidate, mainly because I don't remember.

But they said, would you do an interview?

They just, you know, there's the person in there now there's no good, and they're going to be great.

And I thought, I can't.

I don't know.

And we're not a news station.

So I, you know, I said, they're welcome to buy advertising at the lowest rate allowed them by law because there are a lot of regulations around that stuff.

But I can't just bring them on for an interview or have to offer everyone that.

And we're not trying to do that here.

But the dispute is around what's called the equal time rules.

And traditionally, those have really only applied to news programs.

The talk shows, the entertainment shows weren't.

They didn't really have that enforced.

They were exempt from that.

But now the FCC is saying, you know, really, if you have a public airwaves license, all of that airtime is public, and you should give equal time at all times.

Which is why, if you've ever listened to me, any length of time, you do know that I. I poke fun at politicians at.

At current events, but I try to poke fun at both sides.

And you may think, no, you're clearly on this side, or, no, you're clearly on that side.

I will remind you that you don't necessarily hear the whole show.

So I may poke fun at your guy one moment and it might be 30 minutes later when I poke fun at the other guy.

Here are two very rare, real, genuine, 100% truly authentic voicemails that were left for me.

I guess it was about a year and a half ago.

It was during the last campaign season when I was poking fun at politicians.

Seriously, 100% real a couple minutes ago.

On your station, the DJ made a derogatory kind of reference, so it makes me question your leadership and hiring this yahoo, whoever he is.

Don't care.

Seems like he's pretty unintelligent, ignorant, and maybe a possibly maga insurrectionist traitor you've got announcing on your station.

That's not cool.

Mega Insurrection Traders have no place on radio stations in Arkansas or for that matter, in this nation.

I think they should all move to Russia, go be with their buddy Pooty.

Well, I don't speak Russian and I don't like the cold and I don't drink vodka.

So if you're gonna ship me off overseas, can it be somewhere down in South America or Central America where I can maybe get some rum on a beach?

Because I'm a rum guy.

Again, 100% real.

Three days apart from this voicemail in.

A regular listener for many years now, I just wanted to voice my opinion.

This morning, you guys, about 7:45, you played a very derogatory, supposedly satirical piece on Trump falling asleep.

I consider that to be very disrespectful and I'm contacting all of your advertisers to let them know that if they're going to support you with this, that I consider them all flaming liberal Trump haters, which you now have identified yourself as.

Ouch again.

Both 100 real authentic, 100% real authentic voicemails left over something I said.

No matter which side of the aisle you're on, or if you're like me and you're wide enough to take up the entire aisle, doesn't matter either way, I would like to wish you a very good day.

I hope you have a very good morning.

I guess that could get me in trouble though.

I would like to wish everyone a very good morning.

However, pursuant to the FCC's equal time regulation, I'm required to also wish you a very crappy morning.

May your commute be a traffic free joyride and a bumper to bumper nightmare.

May your workday be fulfilling as well as a torture session of clock watching.

But above all, I thank you for spending a little time with me.

And also in the interest of equal time, what have you done for me lately?