The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released new rules that say daytime and late-night talk shows like ABC’s The View, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert must give equal airtime to candidates from both parties. This could mean the end of long-standing exemptions for these shows. The FCC, led by Commissioner Brendan Carr under President Donald Trump, says that these shows often have political motives, which makes them not “bona fide news interviews.”
In the past, talk shows could get exemptions thanks to a 1996 FCC decision about Jay Leno’s Tonight Show. But the agency now says there is no proof that current programs are eligible, especially if they are partisan. If a candidate appears, broadcasters must give competitors the same amount of time and placement. Political files must keep track of this, and networks could be asked to give away free ad space elsewhere. Shows can ask for exemptions, but things like how newsworthy they are and what their agenda is will be looked at very closely.
The View, which often has Democratic guests, and late-night hosts like Kimmel and Colbert, who have been criticized by conservatives for being biased, are under the most direct scrutiny. Conservative supporters, like lawyer Daniel Suhr, praised the decision as a way to hold people accountable for not including Republicans. They pointed to data showing that 97% of guests on late-night shows since 2022 have been left-leaning. Anna Gomez, a Democratic FCC Commissioner, said it was an increase in speech control.
