Jimmy Kimmel Live moves Texas Senate candidate interview to YouTube after FCC pressure

Jimmy Kimmel announced during Wednesday’s monologue that his scheduled interview with Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico will not air on broadcast television. He said the segment will be uploaded to the Jimmy Kimmel Live! YouTube channel after the Federal Communications Commission, which he linked to President Donald Trump, warned ABC, its affiliates and local stations about the guest booking.

Kimmel noted that his program has previously hosted candidates from across the political spectrum, including President Trump, and said the current situation reflects a change since Trump took office. He added that the decision to move the interview online was made to avoid “nonsense” for ABC affiliates in Texas.

Talarico, a state representative seeking the Senate seat held by Attorney General Ken Paxton, faces a competitive race in a state where Democrats have not won a national office in more than three decades. Kimmel urged viewers to watch the interview on YouTube and reminded them to register to vote.

The claim follows a similar incident reported earlier this year, when former Late Show host Stephen Colbert said CBS lawyers barred his program from airing an interview with Talarico, citing FCC concerns, a claim CBS denied.