FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai went on with Neil Cavuto on Thursday to discuss Stephen Colbert’s nasty, vulgar attacks on President Trump earlier this week.
Ajit Pai told Neil the FCC will investigate Colbert’s comments if they receive complaints.
Pai admitted that he had not yet seen the vulgar comments.
On Monday, Colbert, host of CBS’ “The Late Show,” used his opening monologue to take aim at Trump, implying the commander in chief had engaged in fellatio with Putin.
Now this…
Ajit Pai told a Talk Radio 1210 WPHT later in the day on Thursday the FCC will investigate Colbert’s vulgar attacks on the president after the agency received a number of complaints.
Pai said the agency will take appropriate action after the investigation.
MSN reported:
Late night talk show host Stephen Colbert’s controversial joke about President Trump drew the attention of the Federal Communications Commission. The agency received “a number” of complaints about Colbert’s commentary earlier in the week, according to the FCC’s chief.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai promised to “take the appropriate action” following a comprehensive investigation of Colbert’s remarks.
The FCC’s response will depend on whether Colbert’s remarks are considered “obscene.”
“We are going to take the facts that we find and we are going to apply the law as it’s been set out by the Supreme Court and other courts and we’ll take the appropriate action,” he told Talk Radio 1210 WPHT Thursday.
“Traditionally, the agency has to decide, if it does find a violation, what the appropriate remedy should be,” he said. “A fine, of some sort, is typically what we do.”
Broadcast television is governed by different rules depending on the time of day, Pai said Wednesday, prior to viewing Colbert’s comments.
The FCC flags speech it considers “indecent” before 10 p.m., he told Fox Business Network, and looks for “obscene” content after that point. Colbert’s “The Late Show” airs at 11:35 p.m. ET on CBS.
