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Disney’s ABC is taking Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show off the air indefinitely amid a controversy over his recent comments about Charlie Kirk’s suspected killer.
The Federal Communications Commission’s Trump-aligned chairman on Wednesday threatened to “take action” against Disney and ABC over Jimmy Kimmel’s recent comments about Charlie Kirk’s suspected killer.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely,” an ABC spokesperson said, declining to share any further details.
A representative for Kimmel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The abrupt announcement came Wednesday evening after at least one major operator of ABC-affiliated stations said it would not broadcast the show “for the foreseeable future.”
The operator, Nexstar, said it “strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.”
Earlier on Wednesday, the Federal Communications Commission’s Trump-aligned chairman threatened to “take action” against Disney and ABC over Kimmel.
During his Monday evening monologue, Kimmel suggested Kirk’s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, might have been a pro-Trump Republican.
“The MAGA Gang (is) desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said.
“In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said.
“These companies can find ways to change conduct and take actions on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
Carr added that the broadcasters, including ABC, “have a licence granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Carr attacked Kimmel as “talentless” and suggested the late-night comedian’s comments displayed “some sort of desperate irrelevance.” Disney and ABC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
