FCC Threatens Kimmel Over Talarico Interview | Global News

0:00It's September 10th, from every corner of the globe. This is Global News Today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. So, Jimmy Kimmel Show is saying the FCC, the folks who watch over TV, basically threatened them over an interview with James Tolerico, a Democrat. Running for Senate in Texas, instead of airing it on TV, they're putting it on YouTube to get around any FCC rules. This isn't the first time this has happened with Tolerico. Stephen Colbert's show did the same thing back in February, also citing FCC concerns about, giving equal time to political candidates. This whole situation is happening as Tolerico is in a really close race against Ken Paxton, the current Texas Attorney General. Democrats are seeing this as a potential win and a state that usually leans Republican. Kimmel himself pointed out that for over 20 years, he's interviewed politicians without any issues, but he feels something has changed, suggesting. The Trump administration's FCC is now targeting his show for booking guests they don't like.

1:02The FCC hasn't officially commented, but one of their commissioners, Ana Gomez, spoke out, calling it a campaign of censorship and control. She hopes the courts will step in and clarify that the FCC shouldn't be dictating what people can see on television or making editorial decisions for, shows. This follows a pattern as ABC, the network Kimmel is on, actually sued the FCC back in August over demands for early broadcast license reviews, which they called an existential threat. The specific issue with Tolerico's interview seems to stem from a rule that broadcast stations must give equal air time to political candidates. While this rule typically hasn't applied to talk shows, the Trump administration announced in January that late night and daytime hosts would need to adhere to it. Kimmel didn't get into the exact reasons the FCC gave for threatening his show, but the equal time requirement has been the sticking point in past. Situations involving Tolerico. It's a complex situation with the FCC seemingly stepping into areas they haven't before, leading to shows like Kimmel's opting for online platforms.

2:09This move highlights the ongoing debate about broadcast regulations and freedom of speech in the political arena, especially during election cycles.