James Talarico’s interview with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel is now available on YouTube after concerns about federal broadcast rules kept the Texas Senate candidate off the ABC broadcast.
The full interview was posted on Sept. 10 to “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” YouTube channel rather than airing as part of Kimmel’s ABC program.
The move came after Kimmel said the Federal Communications Commission had created concerns for ABC and its local affiliates, particularly stations in Texas, by scrutinizing political content and guest bookings.
Kimmel announced the change Sept. 9, saying he had interviewed political candidates for more than 20 years without the same concerns.
The Texas Democrat’s appearance is the latest example of Talarico’s campaign running into questions about how broadcast networks can cover candidates during an election.
Watch the Talarico-Kimmel interview
The full interview is available on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” YouTube channel.
During the interview, Kimmel asked Talarico why he thought there was so much concern surrounding his appearance. Talarico responded that he believed Republicans were worried about Democrats winning the Texas Senate race.
“They’re worried that we’re going to win this race in Texas,” Talarico said, according to the interview.
Who is James Talarico?
Talarico is the Democratic nominee challenging Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton for Texas’ U.S. Senate seat in November. Democrats have not won a statewide election in Texas since 1994, making the race one of the party’s biggest opportunities in the state in decades.
Talarico has sought to position himself as an underdog while campaigning against Paxton, who defeated U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary runoff.
Why wasn’t the interview on ABC?
Kimmel said the interview was moved online because of concerns about the Federal Communications Commission’s enforcement of broadcast rules for political candidates. He noted that he had previously interviewed President Donald Trump during Trump’s campaign, adding, “But I guess he doesn’t like me anymore.”
The FCC’s equal-time rule generally requires broadcasters to provide comparable opportunities to opposing candidates when a candidate is given airtime. The rule has traditionally included exemptions for bona fide news programming, but the FCC has raised questions about whether some political talk-show appearances qualify for those protections.
Kimmel said he made the decision with ABC’s local stations in mind, particularly affiliates in Texas.
“Out of consideration for our local stations, especially our ABC affiliates in Texas,” Kimmel said Wednesday, Sept. 9, the interview would not air on television and would instead be posted on YouTube.
ABC declined to comment on Kimmel’s announcement, while the FCC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The dispute comes as ABC and its parent company, Disney, are fighting the FCC in federal court over the agency’s scrutiny of the network and its local broadcast licenses. ABC has accused the agency of retaliatory action, while FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has rejected the claim and said the agency is enforcing broadcasters’ legal and public-interest obligations.
Talarico’s second late-night interview moved online
The Kimmel appearance is not the first time Talarico has had a late-night interview moved away from broadcast television.
Earlier this year, an interview with Talarico recorded for Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show was also posted online rather than aired on CBS amid concerns about the FCC’s equal-time requirements.
The Kimmel interview comes as Talarico campaigns against Paxton in a race that could become one of the country’s most closely watched Senate contests.
Texas voters will choose between the two candidates Nov. 3.
Brandi D. Addison covers weather across the nation as the Weather Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network and contributes to Texas Connect coverage across the state. She can be reached at baddison@usatodayco.com. Follow her on Facebook here.