Politics
Jimmy Kimmel drops Senate candidate interview from broadcast citing FCC pressure
The host moved James Talarico's interview to YouTube following alleged federal threats, according to The Hill.
The short version
- Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel announced an interview with Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico will not air on ABC broadcast television.[The Hill]
- Kimmel stated the broadcast cancellation was due to threats issued to the network by President Donald Trump's FCC.[The Hill]
- The full segment will instead be released directly on the program's YouTube channel.[The Hill]
- The decision occurs amid a First Amendment lawsuit filed by ABC and Disney challenging FCC moves regarding affiliate broadcast licenses.[The Hill]
Key facts
- Jimmy Kimmel stated his interview with Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico will not air on broadcast television.[The Hill]
- Kimmel attributed the broadcast cancellation to threats directed at ABC by the FCC under President Donald Trump.[The Hill]
- The entire conversation with Talarico will be released on the late-night program's YouTube channel.[The Hill]
- ABC and Disney are pursuing a First Amendment lawsuit challenging the FCC over early license renewals for local affiliates.[The Hill]
- FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has previously urged ABC to fire Kimmel over jokes about conservative activist Charlie Kirk.[The Hill]
What remains uncertain
- The FCC has not confirmed nor specified any formal regulatory warnings issued to ABC regarding the interview.[The Hill]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.