Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel's show, "Jimmy Kimmel Live," has been indefinitely suspended by ABC following pressure from the Trump administration. This decision comes swiftly after Nexstar, a major television station group, also preempted the show from its affiliated ABC stations. The stated reason for both decisions centers around comments Kimmel made regarding the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Nexstar's broadcasting division president, Andrew Alford, characterized Kimmel's remarks as "offensive and insensitive," asserting that continuing to air the show was not in the public interest. The statement followed a public call from Brendan Carr, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under the Trump administration, urging licensed broadcasters to cease airing Kimmel's show. Carr threatened potential fines or license revocation for those who continued broadcasting the program, citing concerns about news distortion. While Fox News interpreted Kimmel's comments as suggesting Kirk's shooter was part of the "MAGA gang," Kimmel's actual remarks criticized right-wing attempts to politicize the tragedy before the shooter's motives were known.
Internal sources at ABC and Disney, however, revealed that executives grappled with the decision, with some believing Kimmel's statements did not cross a line. The overwhelming threat of Trump administration retaliation, however, ultimately led to the suspension. This incident underscores the growing apprehension amongst major media corporations regarding potential repercussions from the Trump administration, even for relatively innocuous comments. The fear is rooted in Trump's past actions, including a multi-million dollar settlement with ABC News, and his previously stated intentions to utilize federal agencies to punish late-night comedians critical of his administration. Nexstar's swift compliance with the FCC chairman's demand is particularly noteworthy, considering their pending $6.2 billion merger with Tegna, which requires FCC approval. The incident highlights a chilling effect on free speech within the media landscape, where the perceived risk of government retaliation outweighs the perceived merits of upholding an individual comedian’s right to free speech. It remains to be seen how long this suspension will last and what, if any, long-term ramifications it will have on the broadcast landscape.
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Originally published at: https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/jimmy-kimmel-out-abc-charlie-kirk-comments-1235430078/
