Jimmy Kimmel announced on Wednesday that an upcoming interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico will not air on ABC, citing increased interference from the Federal Communications Commission regarding political broadcast regulations.
Kimmel stated that the segment would be published on YouTube on Thursday. The decision follows a January ruling by the Republican-led FCC, which determined that late-night and daytime talk shows no longer qualify as “bona fide” news programs. This reclassification removes their exemption from equal-time rules, which mandate that broadcasters provide comparable airtime to opposing political candidates.
For over two decades, Kimmel noted that his program had freely interviewed candidates without such restrictions, including former President Donald Trump during his 2016 campaign. Kimmel criticized the current administration’s FCC for threatening the network, its affiliates, and local stations based on editorial decisions they disagreed with.
The Texas Senate race between Talarico and Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton is considered a critical toss-up that could determine control of the chamber in November. Recent polling indicates a narrow lead for Talarico, while Republican-aligned groups have committed significant advertising funds to support Paxton. The race highlights a growing vulnerability for Republicans in Texas, a state that has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of regulatory scrutiny affecting multiple television programs. The FCC has investigated appearances by Talarico on other shows, including “The View” and CBS’s “Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” the latter of which also released its interview online after declining to broadcast it.
In April, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr ordered early license reviews for eight ABC-owned stations, despite their renewals not being due until 2028. Disney and ABC have condemned the move as an attempt to intimidate media organizations critical of Trump. The network previously faced pressure in September when Kimmel’s show was temporarily shelved following criticism of the FCC chairman’s remarks about a conservative activist.
These regulatory shifts coincide with the Republican National Committee’s recent convention in Dallas, where party leaders are seeking to energize their base ahead of the midterms.
The timing with the RNC in Dallas makes this feel even more politically charged. It feels like intimidation tactics, plain and simple.
Wait, so now the FCC can dictate which candidates get aired based on whether a host is ‘funny’ enough? That seems like a dangerous precedent.
This is concerning. If late-night shows lose their news exemption, it really does change the landscape of political discourse on television.