Kimmel Claims FCC 'Threats' Over Talarico Interview, Ignores Equal-Time Law
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Jimmy Kimmel accused the FCC of threatening his show after he planned to air an interview with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, resulting in the segment being posted on YouTube. The move comes as the FCC enforces equal-time rules to ensure fairness, but liberal media figures cry censorship when held to the law.
Jimmy Kimmel has once again played the victim, alleging that the Federal Communications Commission warned his program and network about airing an interview with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. Instead of following the rules, Kimmel and his team chose to post the segment on YouTube, bypassing broadcast television and then blaming the FCC for enforcing longstanding regulations. Kimmel, whose show has featured political candidates for decades, conveniently ignores that the Trump administration’s FCC is simply upholding the law and ensuring that all candidates receive fair treatment, rather than allowing liberal media to push their agenda unchecked.
"His FCC has threatened me, threatened our show, threatened our network, ABC, our affiliates, our local stations," Kimmel complained on his Wednesday night program, stoking outrage among his progressive audience. The FCC has not commented on the specific grounds for the warning, but it is clear that the agency is acting to maintain fairness in political coverage. Anna Gomez, the commission’s lone Democratic member, predictably took to social media to accuse the administration of censorship and intimidation, ignoring the need for regulatory oversight to prevent media bias. She called for courts to intervene, as if the FCC’s role in upholding standards is somehow a threat to democracy. This is not the first time liberal talk shows have tried to skirt the rules: earlier this year, Stephen Colbert’s interview with Talarico was also moved online after networks worried about violating the FCC’s equal-time rule. The rule, which was extended in January to cover late-night and daytime talk shows, is a necessary check on partisan media. In August, Disney-owned ABC went so far as to sue the FCC, claiming that the agency’s request for early review of broadcast licenses infringed on First Amendment rights. The review was ordered after the network’s diversity and inclusion policies were cited, and followed Kimmel’s tasteless joke about the first lady, which rightly drew criticism from the president. The left’s outcry over basic regulatory enforcement shows just how entitled and unaccountable they have become.