Why are late-night television hosts suddenly moving high-profile interviews to YouTube instead of traditional broadcast channels?

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Late-night hosts are moving some candidate interviews to YouTube mainly to avoid broadcast-TV regulatory risk, especially around the FCC’s equal-time rule. Broadcast networks like ABC and CBS use FCC-licensed airwaves, so when a legally qualified candidate appears on a broadcast program, lawyers now worry the network could be required to offer comparable access to opponents unless the show clearly qualifies for a news exemption. That concern has intensified after recent FCC guidance and related scrutiny of programs such as “The View,” prompting networks to act more cautiously with campaign-related bookings. YouTube provides a practical workaround because the FCC’s equal-time framework does not apply in the same way to online platforms, and it also does not govern cable in the same way it governs over-the-air broadcast stations. By shifting an interview online, a show can publish the conversation without exposing local affiliates or station licenses to a possible regulatory dispute. The immediate trigger in the Kimmel and Colbert cases was James Talarico’s status as an active Senate candidate. Both hosts said their networks or lawyers were concerned that airing the interviews on broadcast television could create legal complications. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has publicly argued that the rule is being overstated and does not ban candidate interviews, only requiring comparable opportunities when applicable. But even that narrower interpretation can still create enough uncertain…

FCC's Carr Accuses Talarico of Equal-Time Hoax as Kimmel Interview Tops 9 Million Views

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FCC's Carr Accuses Talarico of Equal-Time Hoax as Kimmel Interview Tops 9 Million Views

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