Kimmel Moves Talarico Senate Interview to YouTube, Citing FCC Pressure
Jimmy Kimmel says his interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico will air on YouTube rather than television, alleging FCC pressure over equal-time rules.
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel has said his interview with James Talarico, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas, will not be broadcast on television and will instead appear on YouTube, a move that places the conversation beyond the reach of the Federal Communications Commission.
Speaking on his Wednesday night programme, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Kimmel said the regulator had "threatened" him, his show, its network ABC, and local affiliate stations over what he described as ordinary editorial choices, including guest bookings. He said that across more than two decades of the show he had interviewed Americans running for office without difficulty, and that "something has changed," pointing to Donald Trump's presidency.
The FCC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This is not the first time an interview with Talarico has been shifted online. His appearance on Stephen Colbert's show in February was moved to the internet after the network raised concerns that airing it could breach FCC guidance on giving equal time to political candidates.
That equal-time requirement has traditionally not been applied to talk shows, but the Trump administration, through the FCC, announced in January that late-night and daytime hosts would have to follow it.
Talarico is locked in a close contest with Republican Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, and his candidacy has given Democrats hope of winning statewide in a state otherwise dominated by the GOP.
The episode adds to a longer-running dispute between Kimmel and Trump. In April, the president and First Lady Melania Trump called on ABC to dismiss Kimmel over a joke in which he described the first lady as having "the glow of an expectant widow."
Also in April, ABC sued the FCC on First Amendment grounds, arguing that the agency's demand for early review of its broadcast licences — years before they were due to expire — amounted to an "existential threat" to the network. The FCC cited the network's diversity and inclusion practices as a reason, but the action followed shortly after a Kimmel joke that had angered the president, who has repeatedly called for the host's firing.