Commissioner Gomez on FCC Campaign That Forced Interview Off Air

Jimmy Kimmel’s decision to keep his interview with a Senate candidate off the air shows just how far this Administration’s campaign of censorship and control has gone. This is now the second time in a matter of months that a late-night host has disclosed they had to bury an interview because of Federal Communications Commission intimidation, and there is no way to know how many other editorial decisions across the country have quietly been shaped by this same pressure. No host, local affiliate, or network should have to weigh federal retaliation before booking a guest for a newsworthy interview. Any attempt to pressure broadcasters into selfcensorship undermines both press freedom and the public’s right to hear from candidates in their communities seeking public office.