Kimmel Says FCC Is Trying To Silence Him

FCC's Brendan Carr

Jimmy Kimmel is once again clashing with the FCC over equal time rules for political candidates.

On Thursday night's Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host accused FCC Chair Brendan Carr of trying to silence shows like his and The View by reinterpreting long-standing exemptions. Kimmel called it "another example of this administration trying to squash anyone who doesn't support them by following 'the rules.'"

The FCC issued new guidance this week stating that late-night and daytime talk shows — including Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — may no longer qualify as "bona fide" news programs. This would strip them of the exemption from the equal time rule, requiring broadcasters to offer comparable airtime to all candidates for the same office if one appears.

Kimmel broke down the history in his monologue: The equal time rule originated in the 1927 Radio Act to prevent broadcasters from favoring one candidate. Congress added exemptions for bona fide news in 1959, and the FCC has historically applied them to talk shows — such as Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2006 appearance on The Tonight Show, which was ruled exempt despite a complaint.

The comedian argued the change is a "sneaky" attack on free speech, especially in today's media landscape with cable, streaming, podcasts, and social media providing thousands of outlets.

Conservative networks like Fox News, Newsmax, and OAN face no such requirements since they don't use public airwaves in the same way, he noted.

Kimmel said the impact on future interviews remains unclear: "I have no idea what the outcome of this is going to be. We'll find out."

This marks the latest tension — in September, Carr urged ABC affiliates to preempt the show, leading to a six-day nationwide suspension and ongoing refusals by some stations, which Carr praised as empowering local broadcasters.