James Talarico Jimmy Kimmel interview moves to YouTube after ABC preemption
ABC will not air Jimmy Kimmel’s Talarico interview on television, with the Texas Senate candidate calling the move censorship.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
2 min read
The James Talarico Jimmy Kimmel interview will skip ABC’s television airwaves and be released on YouTube instead, after Kimmel said the network had decided to preempt the segment. Variety reported that the Texas Democratic Senate candidate’s appearance was scheduled for the Jimmy Kimmel Live! YouTube channel on Thursday night.
Kimmel announced the change during Wednesday’s show, according to Variety’s report. He said the decision was made out of consideration for local stations, particularly ABC affiliates in Texas, which he said would have to deal with “this nonsense.”
His remarks described an ABC programming decision amid concern about the Federal Communications Commission. The available reporting does not document an FCC order directing ABC to remove the interview.
Why was James Talarico’s Jimmy Kimmel interview moved to YouTube?
Variety reported that Kimmel cited concerns involving the Trump administration’s FCC, led by Brendan Carr, and the possible effect on local affiliates. The segment was preempted for broadcast television, while an online release was still planned.
The regulatory backdrop involves the equal-time rule. As described by Variety, it requires broadcast stations to provide equal time to political candidates who appear on air, although exemptions can apply.
Variety said the FCC was in a dispute with ABC over whether The View qualifies as a bona fide news program, which would exempt it from that rule. The report did not establish that Talarico’s proposed Kimmel appearance violated the rule.
Talarico calls the decision censorship
Talarico, speaking to Symone Sanders Townsend on MS NOW’s The Weeknight, called the situation “government censorship,” according to Variety. He said concerns over censorship should cross party lines and described FCC threats against certain broadcast shows, including The View, as “the most dangerous form of cancel culture.”
He also said that politicians and media executives controlling what people can watch, read or say should worry supporters of free speech and the First Amendment. Those were Talarico’s views, not a finding by the FCC or ABC.
The candidate said he still hoped the interview could eventually air on ABC’s broadcast channels, Variety reported.
A second late-night setback
The Kimmel preemption follows a similar episode earlier this year. Variety reported that Stephen Colbert said CBS executives had removed a Talarico interview from broadcast because of equal-time concerns; it was later posted to YouTube.
For now, the distinction is clear: viewers will not see the Kimmel conversation on television as planned, but the interview is set to remain available online.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.