Top News/Talk Media Stories This Past Week (February 16-20, 2026)
Here are the most talked about stories of the past week (2/16-20) on news/talk radio and related talk media according to TALKERS:
Stories
- The Epstein Files Fallout / Executives Resign / Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Arrested
- U.S.-Iran Tensions
- Trump’s “Affordability” Tour
- SCOTUS Strikes Trump Tariffs / SAVE America Act / Mid-Term Elections
- Partial Government Shutdown / DHS Funding
- Colbert-CBS Talarico Interview Case
- Rubio in Europe
- Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks
- Nancy Guthrie Case
- Jesse Jackson and Robert Duvall Die
People
- Donald Trump
- Jeffrey Epstein / Ghislaine Maxwell
- Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
- Thomas Pritzker / Kathryn Ruemmler
- Jared Kushner / Steve Witkoff / Abbas Araghchi
- Marjorie Taylor Greene
- Mike Johnson
- Stephen Colbert / James Talarico
- Nancy Guthrie / Savannah Guthrie
- Jesse Jackson / Robert Duvall
To see the full TALKERS Stories, Topics, and People Charts, please click HERE.
to television and radio programming. After the back-and-forth between The Late Show’s Stephen Colbert and CBS attorneys over the interview with U.S. Senate candidate U.S. Rep. James Talarico that did not air on CBS television but was pushed out on the show’s social media accounts instead, broadcasters – including news/talk radio programmers and hosts – may be confused about how the equal time rule is being applied.
FCC has no lawful authority to pressure broadcasters for political purposes or to create a climate that chills free expression. CBS is fully protected under the First Amendment to determine what interviews it airs, which makes its decision to yield to political pressure all the more disappointing. It is no secret that Paramount, CBS’s parent company, has regulatory matters before the government, but corporate interests cannot justify retreating from airing newsworthy content. The FCC is powerless to impose restrictions on protected speech, and any attempt to intimidate broadcasters into self-censorship undermines both press freedom and public trust. I once again urge broadcasters and their parent companies to stand firm against these unlawful pressures and continue exercising their constitutional right to speak freely and without government interference.”
Republican or Democrat. Often, Democratic candidates balk at being interviewed by conservative hosts for fear they will not get a “friendly” interview as their Republican opponent might have. Regardless, the law is about equal time, and the matter late night shows are dealing with is assuming they qualify for the “bona fide news” exemption that excuses them from the equal time rule. Chairman Carr’s position is there is no blanket exemption; it is taken on a case-by-case basis.
Linear broadcast media have never been more challenged. Internet video now commands far more viewing time than over-the-air TV. And their own networks are hijacking viewers! Your local NBC station tells you to watch Peacock. ABC points you to Disney+. CBS pushes Paramount+. Affiliates are effectively forced to promote their own competition.
that wasn’t part of anything in that decision. It was focused on the potential misreading of precedents on the broadcast TV side. Of course, as you know, the rule applies to broadcast, radio and TV, but that one was focused on those TV precedents.” The memo to broadcast TV was relative to the 1996 bona fide news interview exemption that came about in the wake of an interview Jay Leno did with then-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on “The Tonight Show.” The FCC Media Bureau ruled that “The Tonight Show” did not have to give Schwarzenegger’s opponent equal time because that interview segment qualified as a bona fide news interview. This matter doesn’t seem to be a big one for news/talk radio since news/talk stations are viewed as news outlets, on top of the fact that most talk radio hosts would love the opportunity to interview candidates with whom they might not personally agree.