ABC pulls 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' off air 'indefinitely' over Charlie Kirk comments

Michie · Wednesday at 7:38 PM

ABC on Wednesday night pulled the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" late-night show off the air "indefinitely" after controversial comments by its host about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The announcement came hours after the head of the Federal Communications Commissionsuggested that the broadcast licence of ABCv — which is a subsidiary of Disney — was at risk, and shortly after Nexstar Media Group said its stations affiliated with ABC would "preempt 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' for the foreseeable future beginning with tonight's show."

Continued below.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/17/charlie-kirk-jimmy-kimmel-abc-disney.html

Michie · Wednesday at 7:38 PM

RileyG · Wednesday at 7:39 PM

Good! He did it to himself!

Michie · Wednesday at 7:43 PM

You know, I believe in freedom of speech but Kimmel repeatedly spreads misinformation. He is not a political pundit. He is supposed to be a television host and comedian. People seriously need to stay in their lane. He shot him self in the foot this time.

RileyG · Wednesday at 7:44 PM

Michie said:
You know, I believe in freedom of speech but Kimmel repeatedly spreads misinformation. He is not a political pundit. He is supposed to be a television host and comedian. People seriously need to stay in their lane. He shot him self in the foot this time.

Agreed.

Tuur · Wednesday at 8:42 PM

Michie said:
You know, I believe in freedom of speech but Kimmel repeatedly spreads misinformation. He is not a political pundit. He is supposed to be a television host and comedian. People seriously need to stay in their lane. He shot him self in the foot this time.

Freedom of speech include freedom to utter misinformation. That said, freedom of speech mean free from government censorship, not freedom from consequences. Apparently, a number of affiliates notified ABC of their intent to no longer air the show. Depending on their contract, that could be well within their power. TV affiliates can and have pre-empted network programming. That, apparently, is what prompted ABC to can Kimmel.

Servus · 2025-09-18T02:57:39-0500

Kimmel has been on for 22 long years and was probably losing money like Colbert. The late-night reign of woke is coming to an end. All that will remain is Gutfeld haha. I bet he's having a field day with this.

NotreDame · 2025-09-18T07:08:09-0500

RileyG said:
Agreed.

The FCC threat directly towards ABC and Kimmel doesn’t merit any consideration of free speech protections under the 1st Am for you?

NotreDame · 2025-09-18T07:10:49-0500

Michie said:
You know, I believe in freedom of speech but Kimmel repeatedly spreads misinformation. He is not a political pundit. He is supposed to be a television host and comedian. People seriously need to stay in their lane. He shot him self in the foot this time.

Interesting. Is not the government to “stay in their lane” regarding the 1st Amendment free speech clause?

The FCC rep made a threat directly to ABC regarding Kimmel. This doesn’t implicate 1st Amendment free speech clause rights?

RileyG · 2025-09-18T11:24:17-0500

NotreDame said:
The FCC threat directly towards ABC and Kimmel doesn’t merit any consideration of free speech protections under the 1st Am for you?

Free speech doesn’t mean freedom from consequences.

iarwain · 2025-09-18T14:56:58-0500

Kimmel was still trying to imply the killer was MAGA, that ridiculous idea has been thoroughly debunked.

In any case, Kimmel wasn't taken off the air by the government, ABC affiliates were the cause of that. Nothing funny about Jimmy Kimmel, he has long since become a propaganda machine for the left.

NotreDame · 2025-09-18T15:22:47-0500

RileyG said:
Free speech doesn’t mean freedom from consequences.

That cliche, widely and popularly invoked, is perfectly applicable to private actors but not government actors. Translation, the cliche isn’t applicable to the government as the 1st Amendment free speech clause exists to restrain the government from imposing “consequences” because of speech.

My position, to which you invoked the du jour cliche, focused upon government actor(s) and the 1st Amendment IS applicable to the FCC.

So, let’s run it back.

The FCC threat directly towards ABC and Kimmel doesn’t merit any consideration of free speech protections under the 1st Am for you?

Yarddog · 2025-09-18T15:50:42-0500

Michie said:
ABC on Wednesday night pulled the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" late-night show off the air "indefinitely" after controversial comments by its host about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The announcement came hours after the head of the Federal Communications Commissionsuggested that the broadcast licence of ABCv — which is a subsidiary of Disney — was at risk, and shortly after Nexstar Media Group said its stations affiliated with ABC would "preempt 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' for the foreseeable future beginning with tonight's show."

Continued below.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/17/charlie-kirk-jimmy-kimmel-abc-disney.html

Censorship paid for by the Trump administration. So much for free speech.

NotreDame · 2025-09-18T16:23:32-0500

iarwain said:
In any case, Kimmel wasn't taken off the air by the government, ABC affiliates were the cause of that. Nothing funny about Jimmy Kimmel, he has long since become a propaganda machine for the left.

Your comment ignores, more accurate perhaps to say elides, salient facts of:

FCC Chair Brendan Carr threatened ABC and its affiliates if they didn’t act in regards to Kimmel.

Carr said, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way…These [COMPANIES] can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead…remedies we can look at…You could certainly see a path forward for suspension over this…This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney.”
[Emphasis mine.]

ABC, NexStar, and Sinclair have licenses issued by the FCC.

NexStar is pursuing acquisition of Tegnar, which requires the acquiescence of the FCC, specifically FCC Chair Carr’s approval is necessary for NexStar to acquire Tegnar.

There were meetings Wednesday afternoon, which included Iger and other executives, at times Kimmel, discussing, inter alia, how to address Kimmel’s remarks and Carr’s comments which could prompt costly litigation.

Now, it was the threat by a government actor, Carr, which in part played role to sideline Kimmel, and the 1st Amendment Free Speech Clause is applicable to government actors such as the FCC.

This wasn’t a mere business decision.

Carr’s comments were a threat to the licenses of at least all 3 entities, essentially the entities’ economic livelihood, with possible litigation that depletes the piggg bank as well, and because of Kimmel’s speech.

Kimmel was still trying to imply the killer was MAGA, that ridiculous idea has been thoroughly debunked.

At best his comments implied it is possible the murderer is a MAGA acolyte. His remarks didn’t assert the murderer is a MAGA or was a MAGA adherent.

2PhiloVoid · 2025-09-18T17:36:17-0500

Michie said:
ABC on Wednesday night pulled the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" late-night show off the air "indefinitely" after controversial comments by its host about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The announcement came hours after the head of the Federal Communications Commissionsuggested that the broadcast licence of ABCv — which is a subsidiary of Disney — was at risk, and shortly after Nexstar Media Group said its stations affiliated with ABC would "preempt 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' for the foreseeable future beginning with tonight's show."

Continued below.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/17/charlie-kirk-jimmy-kimmel-abc-disney.html

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ABC pulls 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' off air 'indefinitely' over Charlie Kirk comments

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