WASHINGTON, Jan 29 (Reuters) - A Democratic member of the Federal Communications Commission said Thursday the Trump administration is threatening major broadcast networks by issuing new guidance on equal time rules for late-night and daytime talk shows interviews with political candidates.

The Republican-led FCC said last week that daytime and late-night TV talk shows are not considered "bona fide" news programs that are exempt from "equal time" rules that require them to give airtime to views of opposing candidates. FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, a Democrat, said the announcement last week was an improper threat aimed at news reporting and urged networks not to "be cowed into stopping your independent reporting of what is happening to this country."

(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington, Editing by Franklin Paul)

((Email David.Shepardson@thomsonreuters.com 202-579-6093))