ABC Show Won't Air Interview With Democrat Because of FCC Threats (arstechnica.com)
- Reference: 0185592684
- News link: https://yro.slashdot.org/story/26/09/10/1914225/abc-show-wont-air-interview-with-democrat-because-of-fcc-threats
- Source link: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/09/kimmels-abc-show-wont-air-interview-with-democrat-because-of-trump-fcc-threats/
> ABC's Jimmy Kimmel said he will be interviewing a Democratic candidate for Senate tonight, but the interview will be on YouTube only and not broadcast on TV [1]because of threats made by the Federal Communications Commission . Kimmel has been a prime target in the Trump FCC's attacks on ABC and its owner, Disney. In [2]his monologue last night, Kimmel said he'll be interviewing Democrat James Talarico, a state representative who is running against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for a seat in the US Senate.
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> In previous years, such an interview would have aired on the broadcast show via local stations throughout the country, Kimmel said. This time, it will only be on the [3]Jimmy Kimmel Live YouTube channel in order to prevent further trouble for individual stations that hold FCC licenses, he said. "I'll be interviewing James Talarico tomorrow night under unusual circumstances," Kimmel told the audience on Wednesday. "For a lot of years, for the whole 20-plus years of our show, in fact, I've been interviewing Americans who are running for office with no problem at all, just like Letterman did, Leno did, Arsenio, et cetera, et cetera. I've interviewed a lot of political candidates, from Hillary Clinton to Ted Cruz to Donald Trump himself." But as Kimmel said, "something has changed." Disney suspended Kimmel briefly last year after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr [4]threatened to revoke the licenses of ABC stations for "news distortion" if they continued to air Kimmel's show. [...]
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> Kimmel said the decision to put the interview on YouTube was made out of consideration for local stations that could face FCC threats to their broadcast licenses. "And so out of consideration for our local stations, especially our ABC affiliates in Texas who would have to deal with this nonsense, my interview tomorrow with James Talarico will not air on television," Kimmel said. "It will be posted on YouTube instead. It will not be on TV. So if you want to learn about a candidate for the Senate tomorrow, you will have to go to the Jimmy Kimmel Live YouTube channel where you will see it in its entirety, and thank goodness we have that because in the America we live in right now, that is the best that we can do, until November, of course."
"Jimmy Kimmel's decision to keep his interview with a Senate candidate off the air shows just how far this administration's campaign of censorship and control has gone," FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the commission's only Democrat, said today. Gomez said the FCC "has no lawful authority to threaten broadcast licenses over guest bookings or editorial decisions," and that "no host, local affiliate, or network should have to weigh federal retaliation before booking a guest for a newsworthy interview. Any attempt to pressure broadcasters into self-censorship undermines both press freedom and the public's right to hear from candidates in their communities seeking public office."
The report notes a similar controversy that occurred in February when Stephen Colbert said CBS [5]forbade him from interviewing Talarico. CBS denied prohibiting the interview but said it gave Colbert "legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates [...] and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled." That interview also ended up being [6]published on YouTube .
[1] https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/09/kimmels-abc-show-wont-air-interview-with-democrat-because-of-trump-fcc-threats/
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIbSEScdV2o&t=526s
[3] https://www.youtube.com/jimmykimmellive
[4] https://yro.slashdot.org/story/26/08/18/2039239/disney-abc-sue-fcc-over-threats-to-broadcast-licenses
[5] https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/02/stephen-colbert-says-cbs-forbid-interview-of-democrat-because-of-fcc-threat/
[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiTJ7Pz_59A
No Balls (Score:1, Interesting)
Stupid stunts all around. The only way to deal with a tyrant is to stand up to a tyrant.
Let them take the licenses and keep broadcasting anyway. Film the boots kicking it in and tearing it down, make them do all the bad things they threaten. They need you to believe that resistance is futile, it is not. Their future is futile.
It turns out (Score:5, Insightful)
The "fuck your feelings" party has the most fragile feelings of all.
Re: (Score:2)
All about the 'natural order'.
Re:Kimmel Doesn't Want to give Republicans a Platf (Score:5, Interesting)
Does Fox "News" give equal time?
Re:Kimmel Doesn't Want to give Republicans a Platf (Score:5, Interesting)
Actually, they have. Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders have appeared on multiple Fox shows. So too have the Democratic governors Gavin Newsom, Josh Shapiro, Wes Moore and Gretchen Whitmer, and senators Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, John Fetterman and Chris Coons also dropped in on the network. (Although some may consider Fetterman 'barely' a Democrat these days.)
Re: (Score:2)
> Does Fox "News" give equal time?
They don't have a broadcast license since they are only on cable or streaming. So this threat doesn't apply to them.
But, to answer your question, no, they never even tried to give equal time. And they never tried to present facts, either, but that's a different discussion.
Re:Kimmel Doesn't Want to give Republicans a Platf (Score:4, Interesting)
As the article states, Kimmel has already interviewed candidates like Ted (Rafael) Cruz and the orange one himself. He seems to have no problems. For some reason Talarico makes republicans shit their diapers.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
> As the article states, Kimmel has already interviewed candidates like Ted (Rafael) Cruz and the orange one himself. He seems to have no problems. For some reason Talarico makes republicans shit their diapers.
As his show is part of a broadcast network he has to give equal time to both sides. He did so in the past. However this time he wants to only give one side a voice, so he can't use the broadcast network.
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*Citation needed.
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"The equal-time rule (47 U.S. Code 315 - Candidates for public office[1]) specifies that American radio and television broadcast stations must provide equivalent access to competing political candidates. This means, for example, that if a station broadcasts a message by a candidate, it must offer the same amount of time on the same terms (in, say, prime time) to an opposing candidate."
[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal-time_rule
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Probably because he may have a shot in TX. He is ahead of Paxton in the polls. And I'm in serious disbelief he won over Cornyn. Paxton is a cheater, used state funds to pay for the coverup, was impeached (not convicted) for securities fraud, used state money to go after the whistleblowers that turned him on for the securities fraud. In other words, a dream candidate for trump, but for any christian republican in TX, a problem. I'm just not sure how many christian republicans there are in TX, and I suspect n
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Don't forget Paxton gave a lenient sentence to Adam Hoffman who raped a friend's kid for over three years.
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> Talarico on the other hand appears to be a good family man that doesn't cheat on his wife and attends church regularly.
In other words, a Christian who actually follows Christ.
The notion that Jesus Christ would approve of the current crop of GOP politicians is absolutely laughable to me. You're not a Christian if "love thy neighbor" becomes "persecute thy neighbor is they're non-white or trans".
(Disclaimer: I don't follow Christ either, as I'm an atheist. I was raised Catholic, so I know all about how Christianity is supposed to be.)
ABC Thinking Ahead (Score:2)
ABC is just thinking a few moves ahead. If they air the Talarico interview, then after a short period of time, if Kimmel does not air a Republican interview of similar import, Republicans would demand one. That makes ABC look unfair immediately, but if they respond by airing such an interview, that makes them look weak to Kimmel's core audience, which leans left. Furthermore, they would be exposed to comparisons between the Talarico interview, forcing Kimmel to give a consequential Republican a softball int
Re: ABC Thinking Ahead (Score:1)
I am quite sure Kimmel would love to interview Ken Paxton on live tv. Howâ(TM)s that for equal time?
Re: (Score:2)
> For some reason Talarico makes republicans shit their diapers.
Don't be hyperbolic, that was probably their age.
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That's only because the FCC said, this year, that they would no longer automatically provide "bona fide news program" exemptions to late-night talk shows. 47USC315 applies equally to all candidates, regardless of party, so absent the normal exemption I'm sure ABC doesn't want to have to give, say, the Green Party candidate equal time. Or someone running on the Democratic Socialist ticket.
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> He doesn't want to do that.
He has already done that. "Equal time" in this case means giving Democratic candidates some screen time you dishonest moron.
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> Kimmel would have to obey the equal time rule and give interviews to Republican candidates amounting to the same time as the Talarico interview.
This rule only applies to news programs and to stations with over-the-air broadcasting. Kimmel (and the other comedy talk shows) have long been exempt from this standard. Until the big orange cheeto and his sycophants, of course.
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Kimmel has interviewed trump multiple times...
Feels like the U.S. is turning into a dictatorship (Score:1)
I hate to say it like that but it feels like the U.S. is slowly turning more and more into a dictatorship. Isn't this the kind of things you have to do in a dictatorship? I feel for the U.S. people right now.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
> I hate to say it like that but it feels like the U.S. is slowly turning more and more into a dictatorship. Isn't this the kind of things you have to do in a dictatorship? I feel for the U.S. people right now.
There has been erosion over many years, but Trump is doing it's best to make it one right now .
Lucky for us he's an utter fuckup.
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Yes, Don-boy, I called you a fuckup. Tell the FCC to ban the internet.
Re: (Score:2)
You joke now, but I would assume there are many politicians there who would love to do that. My guess is they are waiting for your democracy to be weakened enough that they no longer have to worry about voters actually having a say in who is elected, then they will fix that pesty Internet thing.
Re: (Score:2)
> You joke now, but I would assume there are many politicians there who would love to do that. My guess is they are waiting for your democracy to be weakened enough that they no longer have to worry about voters actually having a say in who is elected, then they will fix that pesty Internet thing.
I figured that's part of why Donny is so fond of AI companies. They're flooding the internet with so much garbage that it will eventually become unusable for the great masses, and for those that do use it, they won't be able to get any real information through the constant shit-spew of AI output.
Re: (Score:2)
Well, at least a banana republic. His latest plan to give 5 grand to everyone if the R's hold congress seems very banana republic. For the party of fiscal conservatives, the R's have just lost their minds. From Besset using the federal credit card to pay down the mortgage, thinking that is going to quell the bond market to now trump suggesting lets use the credit card for a holiday splurge even though the card is max'ed out at 40T. The latest thing I just saw is that the sum of all the big ticket items disc
Feelingx wrong, its equal time rule (Score:2, Troll)
> I hate to say it like that but it feels like the U.S. is slowly turning more and more into a dictatorship. Isn't this the kind of things you have to do in a dictatorship? I feel for the U.S. people right now.
Your feelingx do not match reality, Broadcast networks have to give the different major parties equal time. Since Kimmel only wants to give a voice to one party he cannot use the broadcast network.
Re: (Score:2)
Right.
It's the equal time rule, not the threat that Trump and his goon squad appointees will attack the network with the full force of the federal government just like they've done in the past. Nope- totally the equal time rule, even though JK has had a ton of republicans on in the past. JK has finally just now decided to freeze out conservatives after years of having them as guests... because you said so. Totally legit. Nothing to do with the think skinned man-baby in the oval office.
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> Broadcast networks have to give the different major parties equal time. Since Kimmel only wants to give a voice to one party he cannot use the broadcast network.
On what basis are you saying that Kimmel only wants to give voice to one party?
Also, they do NOT have to give equal time, and "major parties" is not part of it; They have to afford equal opportunities to all other such candidates for that office. IE: if Paxton passes on the opportunity, that doesn't block Talarico from airing.
ALSO, as you implied, the "broadcast network" has to give said opportunity. I see nothing in 47USC315 that says it has to be on the same show.
47USC315 also says, "Appearance by a legal
Re: (Score:2)
> On what basis are you saying that Kimmel only wants to give voice to one party?
Engineering the interview to avoid the broadcast network and the equal time rule.
> Also, they do NOT have to give equal time, and "major parties" is not part of it; They have to afford equal opportunities to all other such candidates for that office. IE: if Paxton passes on the opportunity, that doesn't block Talarico from airing.
Tomatoe/Tomato
> ALSO, as you implied, the "broadcast network" has to give said opportunity. I see nothing in 47USC315 that says it has to be on the same show.
The network would likely be unhappy with Kimmel is he created an obligation they had to fulfill elsewhere.
Its a moot point anyways. He engineered the interview to avoid broadcast TV so equal time does not apply. Except as a gimmick for him to generate publicity for the interview.
Re: Feels like the U.S. is turning into a dictator (Score:2)
We've always been a very authoritarian-friendly country. People here love using their power to capriciously determine what others cannot say and cannot do. Combined with money being our true God. Freedom is not really valued here because you cannot buy and sell it on the open market.
Updated lyrics (Score:1)
You need to change the last line of your anthem.
"O'er the land of the serfs / And the home of the cowards."
Because nobody is meaningfully challenging the developing fascist autocracy.
Freedom (Score:2, Interesting)
Coming from the party that loudly boasts "freedom!," it's kinda weird - among other things - that they hate freedom of speech like this. Government is specifically *not* allowed to impinge on our rights to speak our thoughts. This is a clear First Amendment violation thinly wrapped in bureaucratic rules. If Republicans had any sense of shame, they'd die of embarrassment about now.
Re:Freedom (Score:5, Interesting)
They're having a meltdown because mayor Zohran Mamdani is going to speak at the 9/11 ceremony. Can anyone fill me in on the reason?
Re:Freedom (Score:4, Insightful)
Quick answer: He's Muslim, they're racist. Long answer: Actually, that's it.
Re: (Score:2)
Your answer is complete and accurate. Of note: the level of panic tends to increase when they encounter people with charisma and competence.
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> They're having a meltdown because mayor Zohran Mamdani is going to speak at the 9/11 ceremony. Can anyone fill me in on the reason?
Mamdani practices taqiyya, both he and his wife have in the past publicly expressed support for terrorist organizations and he essentially blamed the victim on Oct 7th.
Nope, Kimmel wants to support only his party (Score:1)
Its not a freedom of speech issue. Its a broadcast network issue. Broadcasting regulations say that the major political parties must be given equal time on the public broadcast frequencies. So Kimmel cannot use the broadcast network to give a voice only to his party. He's free to do so outside the public broadcast frequencies, bit not on them.
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Remind me again how many times trump phones into fox & friends. Where's the equal time for a dem?
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> Remind me again how many times trump phones into fox & friends. Where's the equal time for a dem?
There are two things to remind you of.
(1) "Fox" is broadcast network. "Fox News" is a cable tv network. The equal time rule is for broadcast networks only, those using the public airway frequencies.
(2) "Fox News" does interview Democrats who are wiling to visit their shows.
Re: (Score:2)
> Broadcasting regulations say that the major political parties must be given equal time on the public broadcast frequencies.
That's not what it says, and there's no evidence that an equal opportunity on the network (note "network", not show) was not afforded to the other candidates.
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>> Broadcasting regulations say that the major political parties must be given equal time on the public broadcast frequencies.
> That's not what it says, and there's no evidence that an equal opportunity on the network (note "network", not show) was not afforded to the other candidates.
"The equal-time rule (47 U.S. Code 315 - Candidates for public office[1]) specifies that American radio and television broadcast stations must provide equivalent access to competing political candidates. This means, for example, that if a station broadcasts a message by a candidate, it must offer the same amount of time on the same terms (in, say, prime time) to an opposing candidate."
[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal-time_rule
Re: (Score:2)
You keep spewing the same shit over and over, yes equal time is a thing that nobody cared about enough to enforce, until the useless twats in this Administration started realizing that their crap isn't nearly as popular as they thought it was. So they need to keep it quiet that there are people that will likely cause them to lose control of the country.
Re: (Score:2)
> You keep spewing the same shit over and over, yes equal time is a thing that nobody cared about enough to enforce, ...
There is no infraction. Kimmel has successfully engineered his actions so the broadcast rule will not apply to his support for the Democratic party. All this talk of enforcement is really just a PR gimmick by Kimmel.
We live in interesting times (Score:3)
We have the attention of powerful people,
I can only hope we do not find what we are looking for.
Jimmy should ask him who bankrolled Talarico. (Score:2)
I've stopped seeing his begging for money adds on youtube at 3am in the last week or so. The only reason for that is that some PAC has donated a ton of money to his campaign. I'm not sure why he was advertising at me, I don't give money to political candidates, especially ones that don't represent my district...I'm not a Texas voter.
Re: (Score:2)
According to a report I heard yesterday Talarico has 50x the cash of Paxton and it's the Bush politicial machine that is funding him.
The situation was similar in the primary but the base favored Paxton over Cornin by such a huge margin that the spend didn't matter.
The dual state people hate Paxton so much they have been after him for years.
It's populists vs. oligarchs in most races where party affiliation is a distant second to the money machine.
Since Trump ran on populism but then did a 180 with Judas kniv
ahh yes...US freedom (Score:2)
Freedom of speech, freedom of the press are dying in the USA, along with Democracy.
Trump admin are nazis (Score:4, Informative)
The three biggest war criminals on the planet right now is Netanyahu, Putin & Trump, all three should be hung from lampposts
Nice Broadcast License You've Got There (Score:3, Insightful)
Talarico is leading Paxton [1]48%-44% in the AARP poll released September 10 [aarp.org] and [2]48%-43% in YouGov/Univision's September 9 release [univision.com]. [3]The polling average puts him about three points ahead. [fiftyplusone.news] It's a close Senate race. Interviewing one of the candidates is about as ordinary an editorial decision as television gets.
Yet [4]Kimmel says the interview is going to YouTube to spare ABC affiliates trouble from the FCC [apnews.com]. Apparently informing voters now requires a platform migration.
And the stations have reason to worry. Carr previously offered the "easy way or the hard way" while pressing for action against Kimmel and discussing fines or license revocations. [5]He later denied threatening their licenses. [arstechnica.com] Sure. Everybody just independently developed the same sudden concern about their broadcasting equipment becoming an expensive paperweight.
Yes, equal-opportunities rules exist. So do exemptions for bona fide news interviews. The [6]FCC's January notice [fcc.gov] says talk shows cannot assume they qualify. Lawyers can argue over that. The practical result is already visible: Kimmel says concern for stations' licenses is keeping this interview off television. The reporting identifies no formal FCC order banning it, but a regulator can accomplish plenty by making everyone nervous about what happens next.
That's the beauty of government by raised eyebrow. The network supplies the scissors, the regulator keeps his hands clean, and the public gets directions to YouTube.
[1] https://www.aarp.org/press/releases/2026-09-10-new-aarp-texas-poll-highly-motivated-older-voters-could-shape-close-senate-governor-races/
[2] https://www.univision.com/noticias/politica/poll-univision-texas-2026
[3] https://fiftyplusone.news/polls/senate/general/texas
[4] https://apnews.com/article/d3b6ccd636d8b94bd9485e7082438046
[5] https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/09/fcc-chairman-unconvincingly-claims-he-never-threatened-abc-station-licenses/
[6] https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-68A1.pdf
Ancient "Secret": Streisand Effect Self-Inflicted (Score:2)
Not clear whether Kimmel's not just making a public spectacle of "banning" his own interview to pump up interest in forbidden fruit.
It's a millenia-old hustle: even Jesus famously cured 2 blind men and admonished them "See that nobody hears of this" knowing full well that they'd blab, that a secret would spread all the more quickly.
Clearly Talarico's learned at least one practical lesson from all that bible study.
Por qué no los dos? (Score:1)
I certainly understand ABC/Kimmel's position on this, but I think they could skirt the rules and still piss off Trump. Put the interview on YouTube, and then during Kimmel's show just broadcast a black screen (or better yet, a waving American flag) with the text "Due to threats from the Trump administration and the FCC, tonight's interview with James Talarico is at [1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]"
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2xW4FB06eh
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
They are oddly obsessed with gay/trans people.
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And vegans!
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> They are oddly obsessed with gay/trans people.
As I once told my homophobe uncle: "I find it strangely fascinating how often you rant about gay people. Like, you seem a little too interested in gay people. Ya know? Like, you're curious, about it, and that curiosity kinda makes ya a little loopy, and you're not quite smart enough to figure out why that makes you feel funny, so the only way you know how to cope is to throw little temper tantrums about it."
It only shut him up for a few minutes, but at least it shut him up briefly.
America is a banana republic. (Score:2)
That's how the Republicans are targeting him.