Jimmy Kimmel is once again fighting with the Federal Communications Commission.
Kimmel said on Wednesday that 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.”
The context: Kimmel said his interview with James Talarico, a Democrat in the Texas House of Representatives who’s running for a seat in the US Senate, won’t air on broadcast TV and is instead headed to YouTube.
“In the America we live in right now, that is the best that we can do — until November,” Kimmel said.
The FCC didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
This latest Kimmel spat stems from the FCC’s recent updates to its approach to the equal-time rule. That rule says broadcasters should give politicians running for office comparable opportunities to appear on air if they do so for any candidates, though there are several exceptions, including for “bona fide” news programs.
In January, the FCC issued guidance to broadcasters about the equal-time provision and the exceptions for bona fide news programs, saying that no legal candidate for public office should be “unfairly given less access to the public airwaves than their opponent.” Late-night and daytime talk shows aren’t necessarily exempt from this rule, the FCC said in its guidance.
CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert said his bosses pulled an interview with Talarico earlier this year because they were concerned it could violate the FCC’s equal-time rule.
The FCC is also investigating ABC’s morning talk show, “The View,” questioning whether it’s a bona fide news program. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has suggested that talk shows like “The View” are unfairly partisan and are giving Democrats more airtime than Republicans.
ABC has argued that “The View” should be exempt from the FCC’s equal-time rule and believes the FCC is targeting it for speech that the government agency doesn’t like.
Kimmel has a history of spats with Trump’s FCC
This new fight marks Kimmel’s third high-profile clash with Trump’s FCC in the last 12 months.
The “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host was suspended by Disney last September for comments he made about Charlie Kirk’s killer. His benching came after public pressure from Carr and some of ABC’s affiliate partners. Carr had suggested on a conservative podcast that local TV station owners who continue to air Kimmel’s show could have their broadcast licenses reviewed since they may not be operating “in the public interest.”
Disney-owned ABC brought Kimmel back after widespread backlash and a boycott from free-speech advocates.
Kimmel got on the FCC and Trump’s bad side again in April after he made a joke about Melania Trump, saying she “had a glow like an expectant widow.” The comment came days before a gunman charged the hotel hosting the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which Trump was attending.
A day after Trump called for Kimmel’s dismissal, the FCC said it was reviewing ABC’s broadcast licenses early — a highly unusual move. The FCC said it was reviewing the licenses because of Disney’s DEI policies.
Disney didn’t suspend Kimmel, and has taken a tougher line against the FCC under new CEO Josh D’Amaro.
Disney sued the FCC in August, alleging that the agency is violating the First Amendment by trying to shape its editorial content.
ABC’s legal complaint said that the FCC “has waged a retaliatory campaign against ABC for a single reason: it disapproves of what ABC broadcasts.”
An FCC spokesperson said in a statement about Disney’s suit that the agency “has been examining claims that Disney engaged in illegal DEI discrimination” and said that “Disney is obviously very concerned about the FCC’s proceeding.”
“All broadcasters have a legal obligation to operate in the public interest — even Disney,” the spokesperson said.
At Disney’s annual presentation to advertisers in May, Kimmel joked about his spats with Trump and the FCC, saying his ratings were up — “largely thanks to our partners in Washington.”
“Yes, the president has tried to get me twice over the last six months — that’s one way to look at it,” Kimmel said. “You could also say I’ve generated unparalleled engagement across a variety of platforms.”
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