ABC pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Wednesday night. It airs “indefinitely” late at night after rage over the host’s comments about the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The announcement comes hours after the head of the Federal Communications Commission proposed a broadcast license for ABC, a subsidiary of the company. Disneywas in danger because of Jimmy Kimmel’s remarks.
Nexstar Media Groupshortly before ABC’s announcement, the stations affiliated with ABC said they would “pre-follow” “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” For Kimmel’s statement, for the near future starting with tonight’s show.
Nexstar seeks FCC approval for the planned $6.2 billion merger Teguna.
Those familiar with Kimmel’s situation told CNBC that the host had not been fired. The person said Disney Brass will be talking to the comedian about what he should say when he airs.
Kimmel suggested in the opening monologue of the show Monday night, that Tyler Robinson, who was accused of fatally shooting Kirk at the University of Utah last week, has once again allied with President Donald Trump’s greatest American movement.
“The Magagang is desperately trying to characterize the child who killed Charlie Kirk as something other than one person, and is doing everything it can to score political points from there,” Kimmel said.
“There was sadness between my fingers,” he added.
ABC spokesman said Wednesday night: “‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ will be ahead of the line indefinitely.”
A few hours ago, FCC Chair Brendan Kerr told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson that Kimmel’s comments were “really ill” and that there are “strong cases” for action against ABC and Disney.
“This is a very serious problem for Disney right now. We can do this in an easy or difficult way,” Kerr said. “These companies will find ways to take action in Kimmel, or there will be additional work beyond the FCC.”
“They have a license granted by us at the FCC, which they have an obligation to operate in the public interest,” he said in March that the agency had begun researching corporate diversity, equity and inclusive efforts to Disney and ABC.
Kimmel’s show’s ABC preemption is the latest dramatic example of a media figure struggling with backlash due to public comments about Kirk’s assassination.
MSNBC last week fired political analyst Matthew Dowd and aired the murders that “hate thoughts lead to hateful words, which lead to hateful behavior.”
Washington Post opinion columnist Karen Attia said the newspaper fired her last week after saying there was “racial double standards” in social media response to Kirk’s murder.
Trump squealed on Wednesday about Kimmel’s show being preemptive. He then suggested that NBC follow suits and cancel their own night shows, “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” and “Date Night with Seth Myers.”
“American great news: the rated Jimmy Kimmelshaw is cancelled. Congratulations to ABC for having the courage to do what they have to do in the end,” Trump wrote in the Social Post of Truth.
“Kimmel has zero talent and has a worse rating than Colbert if that’s possible. It leaves two total losers Jimmy and Seth on fake news NBC. Their ratings are also scary. That’s NBC!!!” Trump wrote.
X’s White House’s quick response account said ABC “supports viewers.”
“Jimmy is a sick freak!” account tweeted.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer has denounced the ABC move.
“America is intended to be a fortress of freedom of speech,” wrote Schumer of Dn.Y. in a tweet.
“Everyone on the entire political spectrum should talk to Jimmy Kimmel to stop what’s going on, this is about protecting democracy,” the senator wrote.
Nexstar said indefinitely in a statement that it would not carry “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, the company “strongly opposes Kimmel’s recent comments on the murder of Charlie Kirk, replacing the show with other programming in the ABC-related market.”
“I don’t think Kimmel’s comments about Kirk’s death are offensive and insensitive at a critical period in our national political discourse and reflect the opinions, opinions or values of the communities in which we are located,” said Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division.
“To continue to give Kimmel a broadcasting platform in the communities we serve is not in the public interest at this time. We have made the difficult decision to preempt his show to popularize cooler heads in preparation for a reopening of a tribute and constructive dialogue,” Alford said.
“I would like to thank Nexstar for doing the right thing. Local broadcasters have an obligation to serve the public interest,” Carr, chief of the FCC, said in a post on X.
“This may be an unprecedented decision, but it’s important that it’s important for broadcasters to push back Disney’s programming. They decide they’re based on community values. I hope that other broadcasters will follow Nexter’s lead.”
In June, ABC News cut ties with Star National Correspondent Terry Moran after calling Trump and senior White House advisor Stephen Miller “world class” hatred in a social media post.
Last December, ABC News agreed to pay $15 million to Trump’s future presidential library, and George Stefanopouros’ President for Stefanopouros’ inaccurate claims in March 2024 anchored George Stefanopouros’ inaccurate claims that the federal ju judge had determined that the president was responsible for raping writer E. Jean Carrolloll.
In fact, in May 2023, a Manhattan ju-degreement found Trump responsible for sexually abusing Carol in a department store in the mid-1990s.
Trump denys Carroll’s claim that he attacked her.
-CNBC’s Alex Sherman contributed to this story.
