Jimmy Kimmel announced that his interview with James Talarico will be posted on YouTube instead of airing on TV due to threats from the FCC under the Trump administration.
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<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Jimmy Kimmel will be interviewing Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico "under unusual circumstances," posting the interview directly to YouTube, rather than airing it on TV during <em>Jimmy Kimmel Live</em>. In <a href="https://youtu.be/gIbSEScdV2o?si=cwMIIO8Xyo75OX_p&t=540">Wednesday night's episode</a>, Kimmel said this was out of concern for retaliation from the Trump administration's FCC: </p>
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<p class="wp-block-paragraph">[Trump's] FCC has threatened me, threatened our show, threatened our network, ABC, our affiliates, our local stations based on simple, traditional editorial decisions, guest bookings, it would seem they don't like. And so, out of consideration for our local stations, especially our ABC affiliates in Texas who woul …</p></blockquote>
<p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/policy/993383/jimmy-kimmel-fcc-brendan-carr-james-talarico">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>
# Another big James Talarico interview is punted to YouTube due to FCC threats
Source: [https://www.theverge.com/policy/993383/jimmy-kimmel-fcc-brendan-carr-james-talarico](https://www.theverge.com/policy/993383/jimmy-kimmel-fcc-brendan-carr-james-talarico)
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Stevie Bonifield
is a news writer covering all things consumer tech\. Stevie started out at Laptop Mag writing news and reviews on hardware, gaming, and AI\.
Jimmy Kimmel will be interviewing Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico “under unusual circumstances,” posting the interview directly to YouTube, rather than airing it on TV during*Jimmy Kimmel Live*\. In[Wednesday night’s episode](https://youtu.be/gIbSEScdV2o?si=cwMIIO8Xyo75OX_p&t=540), Kimmel said this was out of concern for retaliation from the Trump administration’s FCC:
> \[Trump’s\] FCC has threatened me, threatened our show, threatened our network, ABC, our affiliates, our local stations based on simple, traditional editorial decisions, guest bookings, it would seem they don’t like\. 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\. It will be posted on YouTube instead\. It will not be on TV\.
Kimmel’s announcement comes almost a year after his show was[taken off the air](https://www.theverge.com/policy/780502/heres-the-jimmy-kimmel-clip-that-got-him-pulled-off-the-air)in response to threats from FCC chair[Brendan Carr](https://www.theverge.com/policy/970284/brendan-carr-fcc-chairman-first-amendment)\. In February, Stephen Colbert also had to[move an interview with Talarico to YouTube](https://www.theverge.com/policy/880009/stephen-colbert-cbs-fcc-brendan-carr-talarico-interview), claiming CBS barred him from airing it over worries about upsetting the FCC, citing the FCC’s equal time rule\. The FCC also took aim at[*The View*](https://www.theverge.com/policy/881174/brendan-carrs-fcc-is-going-after-the-view-for-its-james-talarico-interview)after an interview with Talarico earlier this year\.
ABC, which airs*Jimmy Kimmel Live*and*The View*,[filed a lawsuit against the FCC](https://www.theverge.com/streaming/981392/abc-fcc-broadcast-license-lawsuit)last month claiming it has “waged a retaliatory campaign” against its networks, “punishing” ABC by threatening to pull its broadcast licenses\.
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- Stevie Bonifield
ABC's Jimmy Kimmel is moving a political interview with Democrat James Talarico to YouTube to avoid FCC license threats from the Trump administration, reflecting increasing regulatory pressure on broadcasters.
A bipartisan bill introduced by Senators Cruz and Wyden would allow Americans to sue government officials who illegally coerce social media, AI, or broadcast companies to remove content, creating new transparency requirements and empowering individuals like Jimmy Kimmel to sue FCC Chair Brendan Carr.
The Trump FCC's move to punish ABC over disliked speech, including a forced early license renewal review, draws bipartisan backlash from former FCC officials and conservative groups who warn it sets a chilling precedent.
ABC and its parent company Disney are suing the FCC, alleging retaliatory actions over political coverage that threaten broadcast licenses. The lawsuit claims the Trump administration's campaign aims to coerce media companies and infringe on free speech.
The Trump administration's FCC warns all broadcasters to comply with orders or face punishment, citing ABC's ongoing case where Disney was ordered to submit early license renewals over alleged discrimination violations. ABC challenges the order as unconstitutional and retaliatory.