ABC interview with Senate candidate Talarico won’t air due to FCC threats

What This is

• Jimmy Kimmel said his interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico will not air on ABC and will be released on the show’s YouTube channel instead.
• Kimmel said the change was made because of FCC “threats” and concern that ABC and local ABC stations could face regulatory trouble for airing a candidate interview.
• The immediate worry centers on the FCC’s “equal time” rule, which can require a station that gives airtime to one candidate to offer comparable airtime to opposing candidates.
• The move comes amid a wider clash between Disney/ABC and the FCC, including an unusually early review of Disney-owned ABC station licenses and other probes.
• Disney/ABC has sued the FCC, arguing the agency’s actions amount to retaliation that violates the First Amendment.
• The White House denied that FCC Chair Brendan Carr threatened Kimmel or ABC over the interview.
• Reports describe similar recent cases where candidate interviews on TV were pulled or shifted online after legal warnings tied to equal-time guidance.

Why This Matters

• It raises questions about whether a federal regulator is shaping what political speech reaches broadcast TV audiences.
• It could push more candidate access and campaign messaging from broadcast TV to online platforms with different rules and reach.
• It adds to broader worries about government retaliation, and whether media companies will avoid coverage to reduce regulatory risk.