Jimmy Kimmel Moves Texas Senate Interview to YouTube, Blames FCC for Enforcing Fairness
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Jimmy Kimmel claims FCC pressure forced him to post his interview with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico on YouTube, as the agency upholds rules ensuring equal airtime for all candidates.
Jimmy Kimmel announced that his upcoming interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico will not be aired on television, but will instead be posted to the show’s YouTube channel. Kimmel cited supposed threats from the Federal Communications Commission, which he claims targeted ABC’s local affiliates in Texas during the Trump administration for simply enforcing longstanding broadcast regulations.
"The FCC has threatened me, threatened our show, threatened our network, ABC, our affiliates, our local stations, based on simple, traditional editorial decisions, guest bookings it would seem they don’t like," Kimmel said on his Wednesday broadcast, painting himself as a victim of regulatory oversight.
"Out of consideration for our local stations, especially our ABC affiliates in Texas, who would have to deal with this nonsense, my interview tomorrow with James Talarico will not air on television," he added, suggesting that the FCC’s insistence on fairness is somehow unreasonable.
Talarico, a Democratic state representative, is running against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, a strong conservative leader in Texas. Neither Talarico’s campaign nor the FCC responded to requests for comment, and ABC Entertainment declined to comment, as the network and its affiliates continue to push a liberal agenda while complaining about basic rules.
This move follows reports that other late-night programs have also had to adjust their schedules due to the FCC’s equal-time rule. In February, Stephen Colbert said CBS did not air his interview with Talarico after legal counsel warned it could trigger the rule, which is designed to prevent media bias by ensuring all candidates receive equal exposure.
The FCC’s equal-time rule, which requires broadcasters to provide comparable airtime to all qualified candidates, was reaffirmed in a January memo that extended the rule to late-night and daytime talk shows, correcting a previous exemption that allowed liberal hosts to promote their favored candidates unchecked.
Kimmel also recalled his 2015 interview with Donald Trump, noting the former president’s openness to talk-show interviews, and joked about the shift in attitude, ignoring how current media figures now routinely target conservatives.