Kimmel says interview with James Talarico won't air on TV under pressure from the FCC
An interview with Talarico is set to appear online rather than on television after Kimmel said the FCC threatened his show.
SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYCredibility rates WDIV, where this article appeared. The other scores rate the article itself.
The article is credited to the Associated Press, a major wire service with established reporting and editorial practices. The AP byline and copyright notice identify the reporting source, though this WDIV page republishes its work.
- Track record — Associated Press is an established national wire service with a long record of original reporting.
- Editorial standards — The AP attribution and correction notice indicate formal editorial processes.
- Author attribution — The article names Jesse Bedayn, Associated Press, and notes an AP contributor.
- Correction history — The page includes a correction clarifying when ABC sued the FCC.
The report gives attributed statements from Kimmel and Gomez, explains the equal-time rule and its recent application, and includes the FCC’s lack of an immediate response. The FCC’s position and the specific grounds for its alleged threat remain unclear.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article explains the FCC’s regulatory context and notes its lack of an immediate response, but the available direct comments are primarily from critics of the agency’s actions. The FCC’s specific rationale for the alleged threat is not established in the report.
- Counterarguments presented — The article says the FCC did not immediately respond and does not provide its specific reasoning for the alleged threat.
- Source diversity — It includes Kimmel’s account, Gomez’s criticism, and background on FCC policy, but no direct agency response.
- Opinion vs reporting — Critical statements are attributed to their speakers rather than presented as the reporter’s conclusions.
The report mostly uses neutral language and attributes the criticism of the FCC to Kimmel and Gomez. Its framing gives substantial attention to those criticisms while the FCC did not immediately respond.
- Language tone — The article generally attributes claims and avoids adopting overtly partisan language.
- Source selection — Kimmel and Gomez are quoted critically of the FCC; the agency had not responded by publication.
- Framing — The report foregrounds alleged pressure on a television interview and provides context about the equal-time rule.
Original publisher not identified
This article credits another publisher, which ChamberLight has not identified, so the scores are WDIV's own.
Jimmy Kimmel said an interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico will appear on YouTube rather than television after what Kimmel described as threats from the FCC. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Kimmel said the FCC threatened his show, ABC and its affiliates over the planned Talarico interview, which will not air on television. Talarico’s appearance on Stephen Colbert’s show was also moved online earlier in the year amid network concerns about equal-time guidance for political candidates. The FCC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez criticized the decision as evidence of censorship and said she hoped courts would limit the agency’s role in editorial choices. The article says the Trump administration announced in January that late-night and daytime hosts had to follow the equal-time rule, which traditionally had not applied to talk shows. It also reports that ABC sued the FCC in August over an early review of its broadcast licenses.
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SWIPE →Texas Senate candidate whose interview with Jimmy Kimmel will not air on television
President whose administration is associated with the FCC policy and whose actions Kimmel criticized
Republican candidate opposing Talarico in the Texas Senate race
Part of a bigger story
46 OUTLETSOutlets agree Jimmy Kimmel said his interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico would be posted on YouTube instead of airing on ABC, amid a dispute over FCC pressure and equal-time rules. Left-leaning outlets frame the move as a consequence of FCC pressure on political speech. Center outlets focus on how equal-time rules and FCC scrutiny may affect political interviews, generally attributing claims and including official responses. Right-leaning outlets are more skeptical of the censorship claim, with some emphasizing equal-time rules and others reporting Kimmel’s account alongside a denial.
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- OUTLETS
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- AVG CRED
- 73
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