Democratic rep tells ABC, CBS to 'grow a spine' after Kimmel announces alternative Talarico interview
California Rep. Ted Lieu accused ABC and CBS of "bending the knee" after Jimmy Kimmel shifted his James Talarico interview off-air in a pair of deleted X posts.
TL;DR
- Rep. Ted Lieu accused ABC and CBS of "bending the knee" to authoritarians for refusing to air interviews with elected officials.
- Jimmy Kimmel announced his interview with James Talarico would be released on YouTube instead of airing on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" due to concerns about the FCC.
- Kimmel stated his show and network had been threatened by the FCC based on guest bookings.
- The decision to move the interview to YouTube was made out of consideration for local affiliates, particularly in Texas.
- This situation is compared to a similar decision by former host Stephen Colbert not to air an interview with Talarico, which was also posted to YouTube.
- FCC Chairman Brendan Carr previously clarified that such interviews could potentially violate equal-time rules for political candidates.