Jimmy Kimmel plays free speech martyr over Talarico interview; leaves out one crucial detail

Jimmy Kimmel says something has changed since Donald Trump returned to the White House, but he can't quite put his finger on it.

The late-night host took aim at the president again Wednesday, this time accusing the administration of using federal authority to interfere with his show's editorial decisions.

'I interviewed Donald Trump when he was running for president in 2015.'

“I've been interviewing Americans who are running for office with no problem at all,” Kimmel declared.

“I've interviewed a lot of political candidates from Hillary Clinton to Ted Cruz to Donald Trump himself. I interviewed Donald Trump when he was running for president in 2015.”

“But for some reason, and I can't seem to figure out what that reason is, something has changed now that he is president,” Kimmel continued.

Kimmel was explaining why his interview with Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico would appear on YouTube rather than air on ABC.

The host accused the Federal Communications Commission of threatening him, his show, ABC and its local affiliates over “simple, traditional editorial decisions” and guest bookings.

What Kimmel did not mention is that the FCC's position is based on a long-standing federal law requiring broadcasters that give airtime to one legally qualified political candidate to provide comparable opportunities to opposing candidates.

The law includes exceptions for bona fide newscasts and news interviews, and in the past, the FCC has allowed some entertainment talk shows to qualify for that exemption.

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Earlier this year, however, the FCC warned broadcasters that late-night and daytime talk shows should not assume they qualify. The agency noted that such exemptions are determined on a case-by-case basis and depend in part on whether guest selections are based on newsworthiness rather than an effort to help or hurt a candidate.

That means airing Kimmel's interview with Talarico could raise questions about whether ABC affiliates would also have to provide comparable airtime to his Republican opponent, Ken Paxton.

Kimmel said he wasn't going to put the stations in that position.

“Out of consideration for our local stations, especially our ABC affiliates in Texas,” Kimmel said, he would instead post the interview on the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” YouTube channel.

The FCC's equal-opportunities rules apply to broadcast stations, not online platforms such as YouTube.

Some commentators described the decision as “censorship,” although Kimmel himself did not use the term.

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Randy Holmes/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Images

The dispute comes amid renewed speculation about Kimmel's future at ABC.

Page Six recently reported that unnamed insiders believed Kimmel's year-to-year contract would not be renewed. ABC pushed back on the report.

“This information is inaccurate,” an ABC spokesperson told Entertainment Weekly. “Any reports about the future of the show at this point are purely speculative.”

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