ABC has announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be preempted indefinitely following some controversial remarks made by the show’s host regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! Preempted Indefinitely
As per a new article on The Hollywood Reporter, the popular late night show hosted by Jimmy Kimmel is being indefinitely suspended on ABC following some remarks by the star that have since gone viral. A spokesperson from the network confirmed that it Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be “preempted indefinitely.”
This action comes shortly after Nexstar, which is one of the biggest owners of local TV stations in the U.S., announced it will preempt the show for the immediate future. The Hollywood Reporter notes that ABC was also contacted by another unnamed station, ” A source said that ABC had also heard from at least one other station group about the show, suggesting that an affiliate revolt may have played a role in the decision.”
Nexstar’s comment on the decision read as follows:
Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located. Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve is simply not in the public interest at the current time, and we have made the difficult decision to preempt his show in an effort to let cooler heads prevail as we move toward the resumption of respectful, constructive dialogue.
Andrew Alford, President of Nexstar’s Broadcasting Division
Earlier today, Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr also made a statement regarding Kimmel’s initial comment, saying:
[This] appears to be an action by Jimmy Kimmel to play into the narrative that this was somehow a MAGA or Republican-motivated person. What people don’t understand is that the broadcasters … have a license granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest. When we see stuff like this, look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct, on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.
In a more recent statement to The Hollywood Reporter about this decision, Carr added:
I want to thank Nexstar for doing the right thing. Local broadcasters have an obligation to serve the public interest. While this may be an unprecedented decision, it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community values. I hope that other broadcasters follow Nexstar’s lead.
Kimmel was thrown into controversy after making comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. He had remarked, “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 and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
American flags at multiple locations across Walt Disney World were also flying at half-staff to honor the late Charlie Kirk over this past weekend.
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