FCC chair Brendan Carr
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Pennsylvania
Why Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro Guesting on Colbert Won’t Trigger the FCC’s “Equal Time” Rule
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is guesting on Stephen Colbert‘s The Late Show Monday, and there isn’t anything FCC head Brendan Carr can do about it — or as a result of it.
Last week, the Federal Communications Commission released new guidance that could revoke the exemption to its “equal time” rules that daytime and late-night talk shows have enjoyed since the ’90s. Basically, the equal time policy requires TV stations to provide equivalent amounts of air time to political candidates on both sides of the same election. (The onus is not on the specific show or even the broadcast network — it is the individual stations that must balance the scales. It’s also a bit on the campaigns themselves. When free time is provided to a candidate, a record is placed in the station’s political file. Opposing candidates can then submit an equal opportunities request.) Often the discrepancy is resolved with free commercial time to the candidate who was not booked on television.
The equal time rule has not historically applied to news coverage, and in 1996, Jay Leno’s producers won a carveout for talk shows. The Tonight Show performs “bona fide” news interviews, they argued, and thus should be granted the same exemption as a newscast. The FCC agreed, and late-night shows and daytime programs were no longer beholden to the requirement. (And perhaps not coincidentally, the following year, The View was launched.)
Until now.
“Importantly, the FCC has not been presented with any evidence that the interview portion of any late night or daytime television talk show program on air presently would qualify for the bona fide news exemption,” the FCC wrote on Wednesday, Jan. 21. “Moreover, a program that is motivated by partisan purposes, for example, would not be entitled to an exemption under long-standing FCC precedent.”
The Hollywood Reporter reached out to the FCC on Monday with a request for comment on this story, though we did not immediately receive a response.
Carr is targeting programming that leans left; he is President Donald Trump’s FCC chair, after all. Shapiro is a Democrat, and Colbert is among the most outspoken critics of Trump this side of, well, The View.
Shapiro, the sitting governor of Pennsylvania, but the equal time rule does not apply to politicians — it applies to political candidates. And through Shapiro officially launched his reelection campaign on Jan. 8 with events in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia — here comes the technicality — he is not yet legally a candidate for the office he currently holds. Pennsylvania law will not recognize Shapiro (or anyone else) as a gubernatorial candidate until Feb. 17, which is the first day to circulate and file nomination petitions. Then, Shapiro will need 2,000 signatures of support, a $200 check to file his candidacy, and a statement of financial interest to make the ballot.
Until then, Shapiro is on the trail — though not necessarily (or at least entirely) the campaign trail. The first-term governor is doing the talk show circuit pushing his memoir, Where We Keep the Light. Gov. Shapiro will appear on Tuesday’s episode of The View, and like CBS following tonight’s airing of The Late Show, your local ABC station need not set aside any airtime for Shapiro’s Republican opponent, Pennsylvania State Treasurer Stacy Garrity.
The late night TV hosts are laughing off the latest FCC crackdown. On Thursday, the day after Carr targeted the time slot, Colbert feigned shock.
“What? What? A new crackdown on late night TV? That has enormous implications for me for four more months,” Colbert said. Oh yeah, did we mention his show was canceled?
Colbert added, “So, let’s talk about these new crackdown rules that my lawyer warned me not to talk about. The FCC is announcing plans to enforce long-dormant rules on appearances by political candidates on network talk shows. Oh, no. They’ve awakened the long-dormant rules, not seen since the mind-bending horrors of the pre-Euclidian variety show ‘Cthulhu Tonight!’ This is clearly an attempt to silence me, Jimmy [Kimmel and] Seth [Meyers].”
The same night, Jimmy Kimmel told America, “I might need your help again.” Jimmy Kimmel Live! was suspended this past summer for a few nights after Kimmel made a monologue joke that presumed the political leanings of conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk’s assassin. Though Carr certainly inserted himself into that controversy, it was the local ABC affiliates that really got the ball rolling. Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned to the airwaves after a few nights on ice, helping to cool the national temperature down some.
Pennsylvania
Digital News Publishers Launch Pennsylvania Independent News Association (PiNA) to Advocate for Local News Organizations – Saucon Source
The publishers of two dozen local news brands across Pennsylvania today announced the official formation of the Pennsylvania Independent News Association (PiNA).
The new Harrisburg-based organization is dedicated to bringing together digital-first local news organizations to strengthen the independent press, modernize laws and policies, and ensure the long-term sustainability of community news.
“The news industry is in a period of profound transformation, and digital news publishers need a seat at the table,” said Tom Sofield, PiNA’s president and publisher of LevittownNow.com.
PiNA’s mission is to provide these publishers with a collective voice, advocating for policies that reflect the modern reality of news consumers, local businesses and civic organizations.
An immediate focus for the new association is the reform of Pennsylvania’s outdated public notice laws, which currently prohibit digital outlets from publishing legal notices. PiNA seeks the right for qualified and established digital outlets to compete against incumbent print outlets and for local municipalities to choose the publication and medium that’s best for their communities. PiNA’s proposed amendment draws from similar legislation in Virginia that was signed into law in 2024.
“PiNA publishers have long been ready to compromise and find policy solutions that work for all Pennsylvanians,” said PiNA secretary and treasurer Davis Shaver, publisher of LebTown. “When lawmakers and local government organizations say they want the ability to self-publish notices, it’s a result of legacy newspapers treating the print monopoly over public notices as a profit center.”
PiNA’s position is that independent outlets can provide the third-party affidavits of publication required to demonstrate compliance with public notice mandates–an essential role of the notice process that would not be possible if agencies were allowed to publish on their own websites.
“We understand why self-publication is desirable, but it’s not the only way to provide urgently needed financial relief for the onerous print newspaper tax on public notices,” said Shaver. “We’re tired of waiting for legacy newspapers to disrupt themselves. Enough is enough, let’s move on.”
PiNA has already engaged with state legislators from across the Commonwealth. PiNA leadership said that the group has been encouraged to learn that its position has widespread support. In particular, PiNA commends Representative Robert Freeman (D-136) for his leadership on this issue.
PiNA represents a group of serious-minded news organizations and leaders. Its membership spans the Commonwealth, from the most rural area to the suburbs and to the neighborhoods of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. PiNA member outlets are read by millions of Pennsylvanians monthly.
“We are coming together to advocate for our staffs, our readers and common-sense policies–like public notice reform–that support a free and modern press,” said Sofield. “By combining our strengths, we can ensure that every community in Pennsylvania has access to reliable local news.”
The association will work to bring collaboration among the locally-owned Pennsylvania small businesses to share ideas and solutions for growth, technology and sustainable revenue models.
“We believe in the power of local news to build stronger communities and improve lives,” said Sofield. “By forming PiNA, we’re creating a base for independent publishers to thrive together.”
PiNA is focused on ensuring that high-quality, trustworthy local news is a permanent fixture in Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. The founding members of PiNA include Burb Media, EYT Media Group, Fideri News Network, Lazerpro, Lebanon Publishing Company, NCPA Media LLC and Street Light Media Group. The first associate members include West Hills Gazette and Saucon Source.
Member Outlets: AroundAmbler.com, CentralBucksNews.com, explore814.com, exploreClarion.com, exploreJeffersonPA.com, exploreVenango.com, GlensideLocal.com, HorshamNow.com, LebTown.com, LevittownNow.com, MediaPANow.com, MoreThanTheCurve.com, NewHopeFreePress.com, NewtownPANow.com, NorthCentralPA.com, NorthPennNow.com, PerkValleyNow.com, PhillyDaily.com, SauconSource.com, StateCollege.com, WestHillsGazette.com, WillowGroveNow.com, and WissNow.com.
About PiNA
The Pennsylvania Independent News Association (PiNA) is a trade association representing digital-first local news publishers. PiNA works to promote the health and sustainability of independent news outlets through advocacy, collaboration and innovation.
Pennsylvania
A gap in Pennsylvania law has put fire companies and county treasurers at odds over online raffles
Pennsylvania is another step closer to restricting cellphone usage in schools after the state House passed a bill on a bipartisan vote on Monday, June 1, 2026.
House Bill 1814 would prohibit students in Pennsylvania’s public schools from using or possessing a cellphone during the school day. Under the bill, students would be required to secure their phones in a way that prevents access until the end of the day with exceptions being for certain emergency and medical needs approved by school administrators.
The bill now moves to the Pennsylvania Senate for consideration. The state Senate had previously passed legislation back in 2024 that encouraged school districts in Pennsylvania to start a pilot program that effectively banned cellphone use during the school day in an effort to improve the mental health and academic performance of students.
Governor Josh Shapiro and multiple Pennsylvania educators have also called for restrictions on cellphone usage in schools.
“Our children need this bill,” Rep. Mandy Steele (D-33rd District) said. “It’s taken a lot of hard work to get this bill to this point, but it’s been worth the effort. Research shows that unfettered access to devices is harming our children, and many educators tell me this bill is desperately needed. Governor Shapiro has urged the General Assembly to send him a bill banning cell phones in schools, and I urge the Senate to send this bill to his desk for the benefit of our children.”
Currently, at least 38 states and the District of Columbia restrict cellphone usage in schools, according to Education Week.
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