Republican mayoral Curtis Sliwa demanded equal time after his Democratic opponent backed out of a TV “town hall” in a supposed “political statement” over the suspension of comedian Jimmy Kimmel.
Frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, had dropped out of the supposed town hall in protest over the parent company’s decision to suspend comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s late night talk show over comments the host made after the assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk.
Sliwa, founder of the vigilante group the Guardian Angels, wrote a scathing letter Tuesday demanding he get the same offer of a town hall as Mamdani’s campaign said they were ready to reschedule now that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” has been reinstated.
“Because that coverage is not exempt as bona fide news coverage or reporting, it triggers your obligation to provide me with equal time on the same terms,” Sliwa said in the letter sent Tuesday to Robert Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company and Marilú Gálvez, president & GM of WABC-TV.
“That means an equivalent opportunity to appear before a comparable audience, under similar conditions of format, duration,” he added, citing the federal Communications Act of 1934 and the Federal Communication Commission’s equal time rules.
“As a major party candidate, my qualification for equal time under FCC rules is beyond question. “
Sliwa’s campaign said ABC offered a “sitdown” interview with news anchor Bill Ritter, rather than the town hall format.
“This is what they offered us. Nothing else. And in October [the final weeks before the election],” said Sliwa rep Rob Cole.
The letter comes a day after Mamdani announced he was skipping his WABC-TV event in protest of Kimmel’s suspension over comments that tied Kirk’s assassination to the “MAGA gang,” who he accused of trying to “score political points” from the tragedy.
“Whether you watch Jimmy Kimmel or not, today’s decision is a victory for free speech. We’ve reached out to WABC to reschedule the town hall,” Mamdani said in a statement Monday after it was revealed Kimmel would be back on the national airwaves.
No makeup date has been set for Mamdani’s town hall, which had purportedly been set for Thursday.
Sliwa asked ABC to disclose the terms and conditions of the appearance provided to Mamdani and “extend equivalent promotion and publicity to ensure fairness.”.
But ABC-TV told the Post later Tuesday there must have been a “mix up” in communications, and that it is not doing town hall sessions with Mamdani or any of the mayoral candidates.
The station offered each campaign an opportunity to come on “Up Close with Bill Ritter” to answer viewer questions.
Sliwa’s campaign accepted Tuesday morning, according to WABC-TV.
Cole, Sliwa’s adviser, said nothing has been confirmed.
Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo’s campaign said the station informed the former governor that the town hall format was scrapped in favor of studio interviews.
