Cinema VinesABC late‑night host Jimmy Kimmel announced on September 10 that his scheduled interview with Texas Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico would not air on the network but instead be posted on YouTube. Kimmel said the decision was driven by pressure from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which has recently re‑classified daytime and late‑night talk shows as no longer “bona fide” news programs subject to the equal‑time rules that require broadcasters to give opposing candidates a chance to speak.
The FCC’s move follows a January ruling by the Republican‑led agency that such shows must now comply with equal‑time provisions. Kimmel, who has long hosted political guests on his program, noted that for decades talk‑show hosts have been able to interview candidates without the same regulatory scrutiny. He added that the FCC’s threat “has threatened our show, our network ABC, our affiliates, our local stations” after he had previously interviewed former President Donald Trump in 2016.
In the Texas race, Talarico faces Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, a contest that could decide Senate control in November. Kimmel’s statement came after the FCC ordered early license reviews of Disney’s eight ABC stations in April, a first in more than five decades, and after Disney filed a lawsuit in August claiming that Trump was attempting to punish the network for its content. ABC declined to comment, and the FCC has not yet responded to the network’s concerns.
Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez condemned the agency, saying it had no lawful authority to threaten broadcast licenses over guest bookings or editorial choices. The FCC is also investigating ABC’s daytime talk show “The View” after it interviewed Talarico in January, leading Disney to say the program has since avoided political guests due to the FCC’s “pressure campaign.” Former CBS host Stephen Colbert reported that his lawyers barred him from airing a Talarico interview, forcing the segment to be released on YouTube where it has already attracted more than 9.5 million views.
Trump has repeatedly urged broadcasters to drop shows he dislikes or that criticize him, and has called on the FCC to strip stations of licenses for such programming. While license revocations are rare, the threat of losing a license is seen by critics as a powerful tool that can influence editorial decisions across the industry.
