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Jimmy Kimmel Live Moves James Talarico Interview to YouTube Due to FCC
Variety • • general
Key Points:
- ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” will not air its interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico on broadcast TV due to concerns about politically motivated FCC threats against ABC’s local stations in Texas; the interview will instead be posted on YouTube.
- This decision follows a similar incident in February when CBS barred “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” from airing an interview with Talarico amid FCC pressure related to its “equal time” rules for political candidates.
- The FCC, led by Chairman Brendan Carr, has been accused of weaponizing its authority by threatening to pull licenses from ABC stations and scrutinizing the network’s programming, prompting ABC to sue the commission for violating free-speech rights.
- Kimmel highlighted the contrast between past acceptance of political candidates on late-night shows, including Trump’s own appearances during his 2015 campaign, and the current administration’s aggressive stance against such interviews.
- Kimmel urged viewers to watch the interview on YouTube and emphasized the importance of voter registration ahead of the upcoming election.
