Brendan Carr, the Federal Communications Commission chairman, has dismissed claims of censorship as a hoax following a row involving comedian Jimmy Kimmel and ABC.
Jimmy Kimmel revealed last week that his late-night programme, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, chose not to air an interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico on broadcast television.
Kimmel said the decision was driven by fears that broadcasting the interview would anger Carr, who has been described as Trump’s top censorship czar.
Rather than airing the Talarico interview on ABC’s broadcast network, the production team uploaded the segment to YouTube, where it has since accumulated over 10 million views.
The decision to sidestep traditional broadcast channels highlights the growing tension between major television networks and federal regulators under the current political climate.
Kimmel and ABC had previously identified reasons to be cautious, given Carr’s track record of opening investigations into broadcast outlets.
Carr has reportedly manufactured several investigations into news and entertainment organisations, targeting them for what critics describe as the ordinary practice of journalism.
The FCC under Carr’s leadership has also begun proceedings to revoke ABC’s local broadcast licences, a move that media freedom advocates have strongly condemned.
Critics argue the licence revocation proceedings were launched in response to ABC platforming comedians and journalists who have mocked or criticised the president.
The controversy has reignited a wider debate in the United States about the independence of broadcast regulators and the potential chilling effect federal pressure can have on editorial decision-making.
Kimmel’s choice to publish the Talarico interview on YouTube rather than on public airwaves is being seen by many observers as a direct response to that regulatory pressure.
The fact that the YouTube upload drew more than 10 million views suggests audiences remain deeply engaged with the content, regardless of the platform on which it appears.
The episode raises significant questions about how broadcasters navigate the competing pressures of regulatory compliance and journalistic independence in a politically charged environment.
Carr’s characterisation of the censorship claims as a hoax has done little to quiet critics, who point to the licence proceedings as evidence of deliberate regulatory overreach.