Behind the decision to bench Jimmy Kimmel: Trump FCC threats and charges of corporate cowardice

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During a recent podcast appearance, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr stated that ABC needed to address comments made by Jimmy Kimmel regarding the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Carr, appointed by former President Trump, told commentator Benny Johnson that ABC could resolve the issue either quickly and easily, or through more forceful action.

Station owners across the country understood the message perfectly. They opted for the simpler solution.

Shortly after Carr made his statement, Nexstar, a company that owns 32 ABC stations, decided to stop airing “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” for the foreseeable future.

After Disney’s ABC announced it was removing Jimmy Kimmel’s show from its lineup, Sinclair Broadcasting, a TV company known for its conservative viewpoints, did the same. They also asked Kimmel to donate money both to the family of the person he’d joked about and to Turning Point USA, a conservative group.

It is not clear if or when Kimmel’s show will return.

Even with the rise of streaming, Carr still wields significant influence over major U.S. media companies that broadcast over traditional airwaves. Because these TV and radio stations use public airwaves, the government licenses them, and Carr – a staunch supporter of President Trump – effectively controls whether those licenses are renewed, giving him power over their future.

TV station owners are eager to buy or merge with other companies to better compete with large tech firms. For instance, Nexstar is waiting for the FCC to approve its $6.2 billion deal to buy Tegna, and other companies are likely to make similar deals. All of these transactions require FCC approval, and station owners are also pushing the FCC to remove limits on how many households they can reach.

That gives Carr tremendous leverage.

Jimmy Kimmel faced criticism starting Monday after implying, during his show, that Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk, might be a supporter of Donald Trump. Kimmel stated that Trump supporters were attempting to distance themselves from Robinson and were using the situation for political gain.

During an appearance on Johnson’s podcast, Carr strongly condemned Kimmel’s remarks, calling them unacceptable. Despite often advocating for unrestricted free speech, Carr maintains that television stations are within their rights to cancel a show if its content clashes with local values.

TV stations have always been expected to serve their local communities as part of their operating agreements. They’ve also always had the right to skip national programs they feel don’t align with those community values or the public interest. It’s good to see many stations are now responding to what their viewers want, as they should.

It’s currently unclear what the future holds for Jimmy Kimmel’s show. Staff members were told not to come to work on Thursday, but haven’t received any updates about the program’s status. Kimmel himself hasn’t made any public statement yet.

Disney leaders, including CEO Bob Iger and Disney Entertainment co-chairman Dana Walden, decided to remove Jimmy Kimmel from his hosting duties. Iger and Kimmel have a friendly relationship, but that didn’t influence the decision.

After Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue sparked outrage among conservatives online, some Disney leaders began to worry about the backlash. Nexstar, a company whose CEO has publicly supported the current administration and advocated for relaxed ownership rules, called for Kimmel’s removal. This put Disney in a difficult position, as Nexstar owns a large number of stations that carry Disney content, and Disney felt pressure to respond.

Losing Kimmel would be a major blow to ABC.

Even though viewership and profits for late-night shows are generally down, Jimmy Kimmel remains a well-known face strongly associated with ABC. He’s hosted major events like the Emmys and Oscars – using those platforms to voice criticism of Donald Trump – and has also led several game shows, including his long-running “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and the current revival of “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?” Before joining ABC in 2003, the network wasn’t a major player in late-night television, but Kimmel quickly changed that after gaining popularity on Comedy Central.

Late-night hosts have often joked about President Trump, and now he’s responding by criticizing Stephen Colbert. He publicly called for Colbert to be fired just before CBS announced it was canceling “The Late Show” due to financial difficulties. This cancellation followed Colbert’s criticism of Paramount, the company that recently paid $16 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Trump as part of a deal to get approval for its merger with Skydance Media.

Trump has also criticized late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, suggesting they could be fired.

As a big viewer, I noticed something really strange yesterday. “The View,” which usually doesn’t hold back when it comes to criticizing Trump, completely ignored the whole Jimmy Kimmel situation. It was so odd! They usually talk about everything, but not this. “Good Morning America” did mention it, but only very briefly. It just felt like ABC was trying to avoid the story.

The decision immediately drew criticism from Hollywood unions, progressive activists, free speech advocates, and Democrats.

According to the Writers Guild of America West and East, the freedom to express our opinions, even when those opinions are unpopular or disruptive, is essential to being a free society. This right should not be taken away through violence, misuse of authority, or a lack of courage from those in power.

Hollywood Inc.

As a movie and TV critic, I’m seeing a real shift in how people get their news. It’s amazing – you can now find tons of channels offering on-demand news, and even CNN is getting in on the action, all without needing a pricey subscription. It’s a game changer for cord-cutters and anyone who wants news when *they* want it.

The writers group stated that the point of free speech isn’t to protect popular opinions, but *all* ideas – that’s why it’s in the Constitution. They criticized government officials for forgetting this basic principle, and reminded their employers that the writers’ work has been profitable for them, so suppressing those voices ultimately harms everyone.

As a supporter of the American Federation of Musicians, I was really disturbed to hear from our international president, Tino Gagliardi, about what happened with ABC and former President Trump’s FCC. He put it plainly: the FCC didn’t like something that was said, and they threatened ABC with serious consequences. To me, and to many of my fellow musicians, that’s just plain censorship by the government.

Four major entertainment unions, including the Directors Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, released a statement expressing concern that the firing of Jimmy Kimmel, reportedly due to government intervention, has created more instability for Hollywood workers already impacted by reduced film and TV production.

FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez, the only Democrat on the agency’s three-member board, stated that the FCC doesn’t have the power, resources, or legal right to control content or penalize broadcasters for expressing views the government disagrees with. She also strongly criticized Disney, accusing the company of giving in to pressure in a way she described as ‘cowardly’.

Disney has not commented beyond its initial announcement.

Gomez brought up a recent event where Trump reacted angrily to a question from ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl about restrictions on free speech. Trump then suggested that Attorney General Pam Bondi might target Karl, accusing him of unfair treatment.

Gomez stated that we shouldn’t let a violent political act be used as an excuse for the government to restrict freedoms and take more control.

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2025-09-18 23:33