Jimmy Kimmel Live shifts Texas Senate candidate interview to YouTube amid FCC concerns

ABC announced that the upcoming interview with Texas state Representative James Talarico, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, will be released on the "Jimmy Kimmel Live" YouTube channel instead of the network's over-the-air broadcast. Host Jimmy Kimmel said the decision was made to protect ABC's local stations in Texas, which he said could face regulatory pressure.

Kimmel noted that earlier this year, CBS barred "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" from airing an interview with Talarico after the network's legal team cited possible Federal Communications Commission (FCC) enforcement of the agency's "equal time" rule for political candidates. The Colbert interview later appeared online, raising $2.5 million for Talarico's campaign and attracting millions of views.

The move follows a broader dispute between ABC and the FCC. Under Chairman Brendan Carr, the commission has reportedly increased scrutiny of broadcasters, including threats to the licenses of ABC's owned-and-operated stations and a review of whether the daytime program "The View" qualifies for an exemption from equal-time requirements. ABC has filed a lawsuit alleging that the FCC is infringing on its free-speech rights.

Kimmel added that the interview will be fully available on the show's YouTube channel and encouraged viewers to register to vote before the November election.