Jimmy Kimmel moves Senate interview to YouTube in latest collision with FCC

What the report says

ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel said an interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico would not air on television and would instead be posted on YouTube, after what he described as pressure tied to Federal Communications Commission rules. The report, published by Al Jazeera on 10 September 2026, says the interview decision reflects a broader clash between broadcast networks and the FCC over political candidate appearances.

According to the article, the FCC under Republican leadership has moved to treat daytime and late-night talk shows as no longer exempt from “equal time” requirements, which can obligate broadcasters to offer comparable airtime to opposing candidates. Kimmel said he had long interviewed politicians on his program without issue, but argued that the current regulatory environment has made guest bookings more complicated for ABC, Disney-owned stations and affiliates.

The piece places the dispute in the context of the Texas Senate race, where Talarico is running against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in a contest seen as potentially decisive for control of the U.S. Senate. It notes that election analysts have called the race competitive, and that Republicans have recently increased outside spending in support of Paxton.

The article also says the FCC has recently scrutinized other programs and media decisions involving candidates, while critics warn the agency’s approach could chill editorial independence. More broadly, the report suggests the conflict reflects rising tensions over broadcast regulation, political coverage and ownership concentration in U.S. media.