Policyband

FCC's Carr Looking at Undisclosed Conflicts by Broadcasters, a Review That Could Snare Jimmy Kimmel

The Center for American Rights filed an FCC complaint against Kimmel for failing to disclose a $23,000 payment to Democrat Adam Schiff’s campaign a year before Schiff appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Ted Hearn

Apr 15, 2026 — 10 min read

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TV Rules: Is the truce over? A new war could be breaking out between FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and ABC late night funnyman Jimmy Kimmel. Carr said the agency is preparing to revisit long‑standing conflict‑of‑interest rules for broadcasters, citing concerns about undisclosed political activity by on‑air talent. In an April 14 interview with CNBC anchor Sara Eisen, Carr said many viewers were unaware that broadcasters were subject to both personal financial and personal political conflict‑of‑interest standards. “A lot of people don’t know this, but there’s conflict‑of‑interest rules that apply to broadcasters, both personal financial, but also personal political,” he said. Carr — who had a blow up with Kimmel last September over the comic’s comments about Charlie Kirk’s assassination — did not mention Kimmel by name. But he really did not need to because of the existence of a conflict of interest complaint pending against the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! (via an ABC station) at the FCC. (More after paywall)