Disney-owned ABC pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from the air “indefinitely” Wednesday after the late-night host’s Monday monologue comments about Charlie Kirk’s accused killer angered the FCC commissioner and TV station execs.
The suspension came not long after Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr expressed displeasure with the remarks on a podcast earlier on Wednesday, threatening to “take action” against Disney and ABC, according to NBC News.
Just before ABC’s announcement, the corporate owner of numerous local TV stations nationwide, Nexstar, said it would preempt the show “for the foreseeable future” beginning with Wednesday’s broadcast.
“Nexstar 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,” the company added.
Deadline noted that Nexstar is in the process of seeking FCC approval for a major merger.
In his monologue, Kimmel had intimated that 22-year-old suspect Tyler Robinson felt more affiliated with the likes of Trump and MAGA than any other ideology.
“The MAGA Gang (is) 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,” he said.
