Walt Disney-owned ABC announced on Wednesday that it was pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live off the air after comments by host Jimmy Kimmel about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. The move came after a threat from the head of the top US communications regulator against Disney.
US President Donald Trump, who has often pressured broadcasters to stop airing content he objects to and has called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to revoke station licenses, celebrated the decision in a social media post.
Several Democratic lawmakers criticised the suspension, saying it was an attack on free speech.
An ABC spokesperson said, “Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely,” without further details.
Trump reacted on Truth Social, saying, “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.” He also urged NBC to fire Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, two late-night hosts known for mocking him.
Kimmel’s Remarks
Kimmel’s comments came on Monday night’s show regarding the September 10 assassination of Kirk. He said, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
He also criticised Trump’s mourning of Kirk, saying, “This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish.”
Kimmel did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on Wednesday.
Trump has frequently praised Charlie Kirk for bringing in younger voters and voters of colour to his 2024 presidential campaign. Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA at age 18, an organisation focused on promoting conservative causes among students and young voters.
ABC’s announcement followed Nexstar Media Group’s decision to stop airing the show on its 32 ABC affiliates, citing Kimmel’s comments.
Andrew Alford, Nexstar’s broadcasting president, said, “Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.”
FCC Chair’s Warning
Earlier on Wednesday, FCC Chair Brendan Carr had called on local broadcasters to stop airing Jimmy Kimmel Live. He suggested the FCC could investigate and broadcasters could face fines or license loss if such remarks became a pattern.
Carr said in a podcast interview with conservative Benny Johnson, “This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Disney needs to see some change here, but the individual licensed stations that are taking their content, it’s time for them to step up and say this, you know, garbage to the extent that that’s what comes down the pipe in the future isn’t something that we think serves the needs of our local communities.”
Carr also praised Nexstar, saying, “While this may be an unprecedented decision, it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community values.”
Nexstar currently awaits FCC approval for its $6.2 billion deal to acquire Tegna.
Democratic Response
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the only Democrat on the commission, criticised Carr’s stance. She said, “This administration is increasingly using the weight of government power to suppress lawful expression.”
Democratic lawmakers also pushed back strongly. Senator Ed Markey posted on X, “This is censorship in action. FCC Chair threatens ABC and Disney over Kimmel’s comments. Hours later, he’s off the air.”
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called it “an attack on free speech,” while Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii wrote, “This was the govt using regulatory leverage to crush speech.”
Trump’s Ongoing Battles With Media
Trump has a long record of suing, criticising, and threatening media outlets he disagrees with. This week, he filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the New York Times and Penguin Random House.
He also commented, “Next up will be an even less talented Jimmy Kimmel,” after CBS dismissed Stephen Colbert earlier this year.
CBS-parent Paramount had previously paid $16 million in July to resolve a lawsuit brought by Trump over editing in an interview with Kamala Harris.
Similarly, ABC paid $15 million in December to settle a Trump defamation case involving anchor George Stephanopoulos. Both settlements came at times when FCC approvals for major media mergers were pending.
Viewership Trends
Traditional late-night shows have been losing viewers as more audiences turn to streaming and social media.
According to Nielsen, Jimmy Kimmel Live averaged 1.57 million viewers per episode in the past season, while The Late Show with Stephen Colbert led late-night with 1.9 million viewers.
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