Jimmy Kimmel moves James Talarico interview to YouTube citing FCC pressure on ABC

Broadcast shifted to online platform

Late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel announced on Wednesday that an interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico will not air on the ABC network, shifting exclusively to YouTube for its Thursday release. Kimmel stated during his monologue that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued threats targeting his show, ABC, and affiliated local stations over traditional editorial choices and guest selections. The host explained that the choice was made to protect local affiliate stations, particularly across Texas, from potential regulatory fallout. Talarico, a former schoolteacher and Presbyterian seminarian, is challenging Republican incumbent Attorney General Ken Paxton in the November 3 election, a contest that could determine party control of the US Senate.

They're very nervous about the midterms, and rightly so.... They're in danger of losing a Senate seat in Texas, of all places.

Changes to federal equal time exemptions

The dispute originates from regulatory guidance adopted by the Republican-led FCC in January, which determined that daytime and late-night talk shows are no longer considered bona fide news programming. Under this policy, entertainment programs broadcast over public airwaves lose their long-standing exemption from equal time rules, requiring stations to provide equivalent airtime to opposing candidates seeking the same office. The guidance altered a policy established in 1996, when the FCC initially exempted late-night television by granting relief to "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno". Kimmel noted that his program had hosted candidates for more than two decades without regulatory resistance, citing past appearances by political figures such as Hillary Clinton and Ted Cruz alongside predecessors like David Letterman and Arsenio Hall. He noted that Donald Trump appeared on his program in 2015 and 2016 as a presidential candidate before winning the Republican nomination.

Previous broadcast restrictions and license scrutiny

The restriction on Talarico follows a similar situation in February, when CBS legal counsel advised Stephen Colbert not to broadcast an interview with Talarico on "The Late Show", redirecting that segment to YouTube. Tensions between the Trump administration and ABC have developed over several months. Last year, FCC pressure led ABC to briefly suspend Kimmel over remarks concerning the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. In April, after Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump demanded disciplinary action over a joke about the first lady, the FCC initiated an early review of eight broadcast licenses owned by ABC parent company Disney. The license reviews focused on stations in metropolitan markets such as New York and Philadelphia, citing federal concerns regarding corporate diversity policies.

Legal challenge and regulatory defense

The regulatory conflict deepened after Trump repeatedly urged the FCC to revoke ABC broadcast licenses, renewing calls after the network declined to broadcast a prime-time presidential address on election security. Disney and ABC filed a lawsuit against the FCC in federal court last month, claiming that the agency's license reviews represent an unconstitutional campaign of retaliation under the First Amendment. In an interview with Reuters, FCC Chair Brendan Carr defended the commission's actions, arguing that the government grants free spectrum usage to broadcasters on the condition that they meet public interest requirements.

Holding a broadcaster accountable to its public interest obligations and legal obligations does not constitute a violation of its First Amendment rights.