Late-night and daytime talk shows must offer equal time for candidate interviews, FCC says

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NBC News/Reuters

Jan. 21, 2026, 9:00 PM EST


WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission said Wednesday that daytime and late-night TV talk shows featuring interviews with political candidates must comply with “equal time” rules that give airtime to views of opposing candidates and that the shows cannot rely on a 2006 decision that suggested they were exempt.

Until now, talk shows have qualified for the equal opportunities exemption as genuine news interviews, ever since the FCC’s Media Bureau granted an exemption to the interview part of Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show” in 2006. Networks have relied on the ruling as a precedent for recent interviews with political candidates.

The FCC’s Media Bureau said Wednesday, however, that networks should not rely on the 2006 decision, adding that it “has not been presented with any evidence that the interview portion of any late night or daytime television talk show program on air presently would qualify” for an exemption. The agency added that any program or station seeking assurances that the equal time requirements do not apply should “promptly file a petition for a declaratory ruling.”

Democratic FCC member Anna Gomez said the guidance was at odds with the commission’s long-standing view that late-night programs and daytime news shows are entitled to editorial discretion based on newsworthiness, not political favoritism. She said the announcement was “an escalation in this FCC’s ongoing campaign to censor and control speech. ... The First Amendment does not yield to government intimidation. Broadcasters should not feel pressured to water down, sanitize or avoid critical coverage out of fear of regulatory retaliation.”

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/fcc-late-night-daytime-talk-shows-equal-time-candidate-interviews-rcna255315

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The GOP essentially torpedoed the "Fairness Doctrine" and now all of sudden, they want to manufacture it again to benefit themselves.

[Ferrets are Cool]

1. Fox too?

Like that will ever happen.

[Diamond_Dog]

5. Now all of a sudden they will claim Fox "News" isn't real news after all so they can get around this.

[Ferrets are Cool]

6. They wont have to claim it. Fox admitted it. They are "entertainment".

[LiberalArkie]

11. Excellant. Since they are Entertainment and talk shows, then they fit the new rules now..

But the replies will probably be done by our Democratic center-right members and those that need an aide to come up with the replies.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

13. Not Fox News,

they're on cable, satellite of which the FCC has no content authority over and the FCC can't threaten any cable or satellite network with their license as there is no license to operate on those genres.

[SSJVegeta]

2. But only for certain people?

News doesn’t count?

[Lovie777]

3. Chipping away at the freedoms...................

[bluestarone]

16. Agree, but i would change one word

Chipping change to CHOPPING.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. This would be enforced sanewashing

Republicans have realised they've driven out anyone capable of holding a reasonable, likable discussion with a normal human being (and they've enjoyed that - they're now admitting they're trolling European government for "sport" ). But they now know that moderate voters actually want candidates that can appear human on TV, not as a spittle-flecked racist or misogynist who has no sense of humour, just of cruelty.

So they need to force chat shows to try and put up with the angry psychopaths and give them screen time, even though it will crater the ratings.

[EuterpeThelo]

7. OK, so

I've read that the Fairness Doctrine only applied to regular network broadcasts and that shows airing on cable were exempt; in fact, that's one of the arguments made about why restoring the rule wouldn't achieve as much since the rise of cable/streaming programming. Wondering if the same applies here? I mean, if the networks want to keep suffering body blows to their ratings when all these programs move away from what used to be considered the big three...

[azureblue]

8. This could be fun

going on Fox and Fox lite shows with some Democrat bulldogs. People who will not be intimidated, who will not be talked over, who will throw their attacks back in their faces, who will attack Trump, and refuse to be silenced. And call them liars (and use that word) to their faces..

[SunSeeker]

15. Fox is cable, FCC regulates broadcast stations. nt

[YepYep]

9. Does this mean....

Jimmy Kimmel MUST have Matt Damon on his show? I’d watch that! C’mon Kimmel, IT IS THE LAW!

[murielm99]

10. Equal time and the Fairness Doctrine

are not the same things. The Fairness Doctrine is gone. Equal time is still here.

[TexasBushwhacker]

12. Could candidate refuse to appear

and make it so the opposing candidate can't appear without violating the "equal time" requirement?

[intheflow]

14. Bring it!

I want to see Kimmel and Colbert and The View grill Republican fuckwads.

[Initech]

17. So let me get this straight - the GOP is suddenly concerned with equal time now?

After they own a fucking monopoly on cable news propaganda that's also now spilling over into broadcast? And no, we do not want equal time with Nazis and MAGA. We know what they are going to say.

Let us have the talk shows! Fuck you Brendan Carr!

[cstanleytech]

18. I thought that the fairness doctrine was abolished?

[Bengus81]

19. Under Saint Ronnie...correct?