Curtis Sliwa demands equal airtime after Zohran Mamdani backs out of ABC town hall

Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa is pressing ABC for equal treatment after his Democratic rival Zohran Mamdani backed out of a planned WABC-TV town hall in protest over Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension.

Sliwa fired off a letter Tuesday to Disney CEO Robert Iger and WABC president Marilu Galvez, saying that if Mamdani was offered a high-profile televised event, then federal “equal time” rules entitle him to the same opportunity.

“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 wrote, according to the New York Post. He pointed to the Communications Act of 1934 and FCC guidelines, adding, “That means an equivalent opportunity to appear before a comparable audience, under similar conditions of format, duration.”

His campaign said ABC instead offered only a sit-down interview with anchor Bill Ritter. “This is what they offered us. Nothing else. And in October [the final weeks before the election],” campaign representative Rob Cole told reporters.

The dispute stems from Mamdani’s decision to boycott his town hall appearance after ABC pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” last week. The show was suspended after Kimmel claimed Charlie Kirk’s assassination was linked to the “MAGA gang.”

“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 after ABC reinstated Kimmel.

Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels, argued that Mamdani’s event had been positioned as a major campaign opportunity and that withholding a comparable slot from him violates fairness. “As a major party candidate, my qualification for equal time under FCC rules is beyond question,” he wrote.

By Tuesday night, WABC pushed back, telling the Post that no town halls are being held for Mamdani or any candidate. Instead, the station said all campaigns are being offered appearances on “Up Close with Bill Ritter” to take voter questions. For now, Mamdani’s original town hall date has no replacement.