Topline<\/p>\n
Late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert on Thursday night responded to the Federal Communications Commission\u2019s decision to enforce its \u201cequal time\u201d mandate\u2014which requires networks to provide equal time to opposing political candidates\u2014on their talk shows, labeling the move as a \u201ccrackdown\u201d and a bid to \u201cstifle\u201d the shows.<\/p>\n
Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel criticized the FCC’s decision to impose the “equal time” rule on their shows.<\/p>\n
CBS via Getty ImagesKey Facts<\/p>\n
Kimmel had briefly mentioned the FCC\u2019s notice to the networks<\/a> in his Wednesday monologue, saying President Donald Trump was continuing his \u201cwar on talk shows\u201d and posted on Truth Social about \u201chow his minions at the FCC\u201d are planning to make interviews with politicians difficult.<\/p>\n The ABC late-night host elaborated on this in his Thursday night monologue<\/a>, as he referred to FCC chair Brendan Carr as \u201cBrendan Cartel\u201d and said the agency was \u201creinterpreting long-agreed-upon rules to stifle us.\u201d<\/p>\n Kimmel acknowledged this issue is more complicated than his previous dust-up<\/a> with the FCC chair, before explaining the \u201cequal time\u201d mandate and saying it was established at a time when \u201cradio was the dominant broadcast medium,\u201d and the rules later applied to television.<\/p>\n Kimmel pointed out that late-night shows have operated under an \u201cequal time\u201d exemption granted to news networks since 2006, when then-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared on \u201cThe Tonight Show.\u201d<\/p>\n The ABC host then said Carr was \u201cdoing everything he can to shut us up the easy way or the hard way,\u201d and removing the news exemption from talk shows was a \u201csneaky little way of keeping viewpoints that aren’t his off the air.\u201d<\/p>\n Kimmel also questioned the relevance of such a rule at a time when broadcast TV viewership was declining, saying: \u201cBroadcast TV used to account for 100% of viewing\u2026now it\u2019s like 20%<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Crucial Quote<\/p>\n In the monologue, Kimmel said the likes of Fox News, Newsmax and One America News Network were doing \u201c24\/7 Trump programming\u201d and said: \u201cI have no idea what the outcome of this is going to be. We’ll find out. I guess whatever happens, I want to just point it out because it is another example of this administration trying to squash anyone who doesn’t support them by following the rules. And we know how much respect these people have for the rules.\u201d<\/p>\n What Did Stephen Colbert Say About The Fcc Rule?<\/p>\n