Hard Wire

Jimmy Kimmel Unloads on FCC Fears By Moving Texas Interview to YouTube

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Jimmy Kimmel announced Wednesday that his interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico will not air on television. The host cited fears that the Trump administration's Federal Communications Commission might enforce the equal-time rule against his network. Kimmel stated he moved the segment to YouTube to protect local stations from potential legal trouble. He said the interview will appear on his channel instead of the nightly broadcast. This decision comes as Talarico faces Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in a tight race. NBC News reported the cancellation directly from Kimmel's on-air statement.

Kimmel explained that his network lawyers warned him about the consequences of airing the segment on TV. He claimed the FCC has pressured his show based on guest choices they dislike. "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," Kimmel said. He noted that the interview will be available online for viewers to watch in full.


This is not the first time a late-night host has faced this specific regulatory hurdle. Stephen Colbert reported similar issues with CBS in February regarding an interview with Talarico. Colbert said network lawyers told him they could not have the candidate on the broadcast. "He was supposed to be here, but we were told in no uncertain terms by our network's lawyers, who called us directly, that we could not have him on the broadcast," Colbert stated. CBS confirmed the show received legal guidance about triggering the equal-time rule for other candidates.

Kimmel pointed out that he has interviewed many political figures over the last twenty years without this problem. He recalled interviewing Donald Trump in 2015 when Trump was running for president. Kimmel noted that Trump seemed fine with the idea of hosts interviewing candidates at that time. "I interviewed Donald Trump when he was running for president in 2015, and at that time, when he was the one sitting next to me, he seemed to have no problem with the idea of talk show hosts interviewing candidates," Kimmel said. He added that Trump even returned for another interview before becoming the nominee.


The White House quickly rejected Kimmel's claims about FCC pressure. White House spokesman Davis Ingle called the comedian's story a false narrative created for entertainment. Ingle stated that FCC Chairman Carr has not threatened Kimmel regarding any candidate interviews. "Chairman Carr has not threatened him regarding interviewing James Talarico, or any other candidate," Ingle said. He challenged media outlets to demand proof of the alleged threats, noting that none exists. The Daily Wire and Washington Examiner both covered the denial of these claims.

RedState noted that Kimmel portrayed the decision as unusual given his history of political interviews. The host mentioned past guests ranging from Hillary Clinton to Ted Cruz. He argued that the current environment has changed the rules for his show. Requests for comment regarding this situation sent to the FCC and the Talarico campaign received no immediate response. ABC Entertainment also declined to comment on the matter. The interview remains scheduled for Thursday but will only be viewable online.


Broadcast networks must provide airtime opportunities to every candidate in an election under the equal-time rule. Disputes continue over whether talk shows fall under these federal regulations. Kimmel said he has no choice but to move the content to a digital platform. "And thank goodness we have that because in the America we live in right now, that is the best that we can do until November," he said. The story highlights ongoing friction between broadcasters and federal regulators.

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