By BRENDA JOSEPHSON
ABC has abruptly pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! from its schedule “indefinitely” following host Jimmy Kimmel’s controversial monologue about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. The decision, announced Wednesday evening, comes on the heels of sharp criticism from Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr and preemptive moves by major network affiliates.
Kimmel’s remarks aired during the September 15 episode, where he accused the “MAGA gang” of politicizing Kirk’s death by mischaracterizing the alleged shooter, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, as anything other than a conservative. “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them,” Kimmel said, drawing immediate ire from conservative commentators who pointed to reports of Robinson’s left-leaning views.
The backlash intensified when FCC Chair Brendan Carr, appearing on podcaster Benny Johnson’s show, labeled Kimmel’s comments “the sickest conduct possible” and warned of potential regulatory action against ABC and its affiliates. “They have a license granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest,” Carr stated, hinting at news distortion complaints that could jeopardize broadcast licenses.
Hours later, Nexstar Media Group, which owns and operates ABC affiliates nationwide, announced it would preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live “for the foreseeable future” starting that night. In a statement, Nexstar’s president of broadcasting, Andrew Alford, cited Kimmel’s “offensive and insensitive” remarks as misaligned with community values: “Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform… is simply not in the public interest at the current time.” ABC quickly followed suit, with a network spokesperson confirming, “‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ will be preempted indefinitely.”
On social media, President Donald Trump hailed the move as “Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED.”
Brenda Josephson is a board member of Alaska Gold Communications, Inc., the publisher of Must Read Alaska. You can contact her via email at [email protected].
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