FCC Chief Accuses Jimmy Kimmel of Running Interview Hoax for Cash Payments Nearing 9 Million Views

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has accused Democratic US Senate candidate James Talarico of orchestrating a 'hoax' around his viral interview with Jimmy Kimmel, claiming the controversy was designed to generate 'clicks and donations' as the video approached nine million YouTube views.

The extraordinary reach of the interview has intensified a growing battle involving Kimmel, Talarico, ABC and the Federal Communications Commission over political candidates appearing on television. Kimmel moved the interview to YouTube rather than airing it on ABC amid concerns over the FCC's enforcement of federal equal-time requirements.

FCC Chairman Accuses Talarico of 'Hoax'

Carr launched his attack on Saturday, accusing Talarico of repeating what he described as a strategy previously used when the Texas Democrat appeared with Stephen Colbert.

The FCC chairman alleged that Talarico was 'running the same hoax' for the purpose of attracting clicks and political donations.

Carr argued that the controversy depended on people misunderstanding the equal-time statute and rejected suggestions that the FCC had prevented Talarico from being interviewed.

The Kimmel interview had attracted approximately 8.7 million YouTube views as of writing, giving the candidate an online audience considerably larger than a typical late-night television broadcast.

Jimmy Kimmel Interview Explodes on YouTube

Kimmel announced earlier in the week that his interview with Talarico would not appear on his ABC broadcast and would instead be released on YouTube.

The comedian said the decision was made out of consideration for ABC affiliates, particularly stations in Texas that could face equal-time complications because Talarico is running for the US Senate.

It was not Talarico's first encounter with the issue.

In February, an interview with then-CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert was also moved to YouTube after the programme received legal guidance about the FCC's equal-time requirements. That interview subsequently attracted more than 9.5 million views.

James Talarico Claims 'Government Censorship'

Talarico has characterised the latest dispute as government censorship and promoted the Kimmel appearance online as 'the interview Trump's FCC doesn't want you to see.'

Kimmel similarly accused the FCC of attempting to influence editorial decisions, saying his programme, ABC and its affiliates had faced threats related to political guest bookings.

The White House rejected that characterisation. Assistant White House Press Secretary Davis Ingle accused Kimmel of 'play acting' and creating a false narrative, adding that Carr had not threatened the comedian over interviewing Talarico or another candidate.

What Is the FCC Equal-Time Rule?

The controversy centres on federal equal-time requirements governing broadcast stations and political candidates.

The rules generally require broadcasters that give airtime to a legally qualified candidate to provide comparable opportunities to opponents under circumstances where the statute applies.

In January, the Republican-led FCC said daytime and late-night television talk shows were no longer automatically considered 'bona fide' news programmes exempt from equal-time requirements.

Carr has argued that the statute does not prevent broadcasters from interviewing candidates and is intended to promote more political speech rather than restrict it.

The rule does not apply in the same way to cable networks such as ESPN, Carr said while addressing questions about Republican Senator Ted Cruz's recent College GameDay appearance. Cruz is also not currently a legally qualified candidate in an election campaign.

ABC Takes FCC Fight To Court

The dispute comes as ABC and parent company Disney pursue a First Amendment lawsuit against the FCC over the agency's regulatory actions.

ABC has accused the Trump administration of pursuing a retaliatory campaign against the network because of programming it dislikes. The FCC has rejected allegations that its enforcement amounts to unlawful censorship.

The legal fight includes unusual early reviews of Disney-owned ABC station licences and scrutiny surrounding political content on programmes including The View.