ABC’s late-night host, Jimmy Kimmel, announced that his interview with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico will be broadcast on YouTube instead of the network, citing threats from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In a statement earlier this year, the FCC, led by Republicans, declared that daytime and late-night talk shows are no longer classified as “bona fide” news programs exempt from equal time regulations, which mandate providing airtime to opposing candidates.
Kimmel highlighted the historical freedom of talk shows to interview political candidates without being bound by such regulations. Talarico is contesting against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in a crucial Texas race that could impact the balance of power in the U.S. Senate after the November elections.
Referencing his past interview with then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2016, Kimmel criticized the FCC’s recent stance against his show and network, ABC, based on their guest bookings. Both ABC and the FCC declined to comment on the matter.
In a rare move, FCC Chair Brendan Carr initiated early reviews of Disney’s eight ABC stations in April, despite their license renewals not being due until October 2028. This marked the first instance of such an early review by the FCC in over five decades. Following President Trump’s call for ABC to dismiss Kimmel, Disney filed a lawsuit to halt the premature reviews, alleging punitive actions by the administration.
The FCC is also looking into ABC’s daytime talk show “The View” for potential violations of equal time rules after hosting Talarico in January. Disney reported that the program ceased inviting political candidates since February due to what they described as the FCC’s “pressure campaign.”
In a similar incident, former CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert revealed that network lawyers prevented him from airing an interview with Talarico on his show, opting to release it on YouTube instead, garnering over 9.5 million views.
Trump’s repeated calls for broadcasters to remove comedy or news shows critical of him or his administration, along with his appeals for FCC license revocations, have sparked concerns over governmental interference in media content. While FCC license revocations are uncommon, the perceived threat of losing a license can influence broadcasters and raise apprehensions about editorial independence. Broadcast networks are shielded by broad First Amendment protections concerning programming decisions.