ABC Has Pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live, And This Is Bad News For All American Media

[UPDATE: Sinclair, the largest ABC affiliate group, has announced on social media, "Sinclair will not lift the suspension of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' on our stations until formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network's commitment to professionalism and accountability. Sinclair also call upon Mr. Kimmel to issue a direct apology to the Kirk family. Furthermore, Sinclair asks Mr. Kimmel to make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA." Additionally, Sinclair's ABC stations will air a special in remembrance of Charlie Kirk this Friday, during the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" timeslot. This update has been added without writer or editor comment.]

Apparently, the guy behind "Mean Tweets" is officially too edgy for primetime. In a move that reeks of political theater more than public service, ABC has pulled its hit late-night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" from its lineup "indefinitely." According to Variety, the decision came after Nexstar Media — one of the country's largest local TV station owners — said that they "intended to pre-empt airings" of the show following Kimmel's blunt remarks about his opinion on the right-wing exploitation of Charlie Kirk's death. ABC responded by pulling the show altogether.

"We hit some new lows over the weekend," Kimmel said on his Monday night monologue, "with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who [allegedly] murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and everything they can to score political points from it." He also mocked Trump's wildly off-topic response when a reporter asked about Kirk's death during an interview, because the commander in chief quickly pivoted to bragging about a White House ballroom starting construction.

"We strongly object to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk," Nexstar stated, vowing to replace the show with more agreeable programming, presumably shows with a lower risk of ruffling feathers. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened action against ABC, then publicly applauded Nexstar's censorship play. "Local broadcasters have an obligation to serve the public interest," Carr declared, as if silencing a late-night talk show's incredibly tame remarks somehow serves democracy.

Criticism, commentary, and yes, comedy, are all forms of protected speech. Pulling "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" off the air is an excessive act of censorship, a cowardly act from a major broadcaster bowing to pressure, and allowing the supposed champions of "free speech" to lead the charge in shutting up people they don't like. This should horrify everyone, regardless of political alignment.

The news of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" being pulled off schedule comes two months following the cancellation of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," a decision that came suspiciously in the immediacy of Colbert harshly criticizing CBS parent company, Paramount, for agreeing to a $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump. The settlement was interpreted by many as a strategic move to appease the current FCC administration, whose approval Paramount needed for the now-approved Paramount-Skydance merger. This makes the decision made by ABC/Nexstar regarding "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" following Carr's threats feel like anticipatory compliance, because the FCC will be voting in two weeks on ownership rules that will have a direct impact on Nexstar's proposed $6.2 billion purchase of Tegna. This acquisition would give Nexstar control of 265 stations in total, meaning they'd be serving roughly 80% of U.S. television households.

"I want to thank Nexstar for doing the right thing," Carr posted in a statement on social media. "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." The cruel irony of Kimmel's removal is that as fans and politicians continue to eulogize Charlie Kirk, the podcaster's constant defense of free speech under all circumstances is frequently cited, including by the New College of Florida, who has announced that it will be erecting a statue of Kirk, "as a commitment by New College to defend and fight for free speech and civil discourse in American life." To quote Kirk himself, "There's ugly speech. There's gross speech. There's evil speech. And ALL of it is protected by the First Amendment. Keep America free."

Unless you're Jimmy Kimmel, I guess.