CBS in Crisis: Colbert Interview Pulled, Cooper Exits Landmark Show

A major U.S. television network, CBS, faces a turbulent week with two high-profile controversies. First, late-night host Stephen Colbert publicly stated that CBS canceled a planned interview on his show. The guest was popular Democratic politician James Talarico. Colbert said the network acted over concerns about the "equal time" rule. This FCC (Federal Communications Commission) rule requires broadcast networks to give opposing political candidates similar airtime if one candidate appears on entertainment programming. In a separate development, veteran anchor Anderson Cooper announced he is leaving the news magazine "60 Minutes." He has been a correspondent there for almost twenty years. His departure marks the end of a significant era for the program. Media analyst Alex Weprin of The Hollywood Reporter discussed these events on FRANCE 24's "Scoop." He examined the internal and regulatory pressures now challenging the network.