NEWSWhite House Denies FCC Action After Jimmy Kimmel Moves James Talarico Interview to YouTube
Jimmy Kimmel moved his planned James Talarico interview from television to YouTube.
Sept. 20 2026, Published 8:37 a.m. ET
Jimmy Kimmel’s latest clash with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is sending a political interview away from television and onto YouTube.
The Jimmy Kimmel Live! host said his conversation with Democratic U.S. Senate candidate for Texas James Talarico would not air on ABC on September 10 as planned, and would instead be released on YouTube. Kimmel attributed the decision to FCC pressure, but the White House accused him of manufacturing the controversy.
Jimmy Kimmel Points to Affiliate Pressure
Jimmy Kimmel said pressure from the FCC influenced the decision.
Kimmel announced the move during his September 9 monologue, noting that he has interviewed candidates ranging from Hillary Clinton and Ted Cruz to current President Donald Trump during more than 20 years on the air.
“Now that he is president, his FCC has threatened me, threatened our show, threatened our network, ABC, our affiliates, our local stations,” Kimmel said.
He said the move was made out of “consideration for our local stations, especially our ABC affiliates in Texas, who would have to deal with this nonsense.”
White House Calls It a ‘False Narrative’
The White House denied that FCC Chairman Brendan Carr had pressured Jimmy Kimmel over the booking.
Assistant White House Press Secretary Davis Ingle denied that Carr had pressured Kimmel over the booking.
“Jimmy Kimmel is play-acting — as he often does — to create a false narrative about this administration’s policies,” Ingle said Thursday. “Chairman Carr has not threatened him regarding interviewing James Talarico, or any other candidate.”
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James Talarico called the dispute a dangerous form of cancel culture.
Talarico characterized the dispute as “the most dangerous form of cancel culture” during an MS NOW appearance, pointing to “powerful politicians” and “powerful media executives” influencing what audiences can watch, read and say.
The Equal-Time Fight Behind the Dispute
The controversy unfolded amid a broader legal fight between ABC and the FCC over regulations.
The confrontation comes amid a broader legal and regulatory battle between ABC and the FCC. The agency recently moved to dismiss ABC’s First Amendment lawsuit over early station-license reviews, calling its retaliation claims “meritless.”
Carr issued guidance in January suggesting late-night and daytime talk shows may not necessarily qualify for the customary news-interview exemption from the equal-time rule. The rule requires broadcasters featuring a political candidate to offer comparable time to opponents if requested.
Carr maintains that candidates can still appear as long as broadcasters are prepared to extend airtime to their rivals. ABC has accused the FCC of selective enforcement and cited a 2002 agency letter confirming an exemption for The View.
Kimmel said viewers wanting to see his complete Talarico interview would have to find it online, calling YouTube “the best that we can do until November.”
