Summary
- ABC
pulled Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show indefinitely. - Suspension
followed Kimmel’s comments on Charlie Kirk killing. - Kimmel
accused MAGA of exploiting Kirk’s death politically. - Comments
drew backlash from conservatives and FCC chairman.
The announcement follows the CBS network’s July announcement
that it was discontinuing “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” its
most popular late-night program.
“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,”
said Nexstar
Media Group, an owner of ABC TV affiliates.
At a Utah Valley University outdoor event last week, Kirk, a
political activist with strong ties to US President Donald Trump, was shot and
murdered.
Since then, the guy suspected of killing Kirk has been taken
into custody, and seven state charges, including aggravated murder, have been
brought against him by the prosecution. Additionally, they have stated that
they intend to pursue the death penalty against the alleged murderer.
Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA, is widely recognized
for having inspired conservative youth to support Trump and help him retake the
White House in 2024.
In his well-liked late-night program on Monday, Jimmy Kimmel
discussed the tragedy, saying:
“We had some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA
[Make America Great Again] gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who
murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and with everything
they can to score political points from it.”
Citing a video of Trump’s remarks on the White House
grounds, he continued to attack Trump’s grief over Kirk, stating: “This is
how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish.”
Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communications agency
(FCC), demanded that local broadcasters cease airing “Jimmy Kimmel
Live” prior to Thursday’s announcement and proposed that the agency launch
an investigation.
If there was a pattern of skewed remarks, he said,
broadcasters might face fines or license suspension.
Tyson Barker, a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic
Council’s Europe Center, told DW the FTC chair’s statement “definitely has
a chilling effect on speech.”
“Given the fact that so many of these media companies
are currently in negotiation for mergers and acquisitions and want to stay on
the good side of the president and his administration, they seem to be acting
accordingly and somewhat disproportionately in chilling that speech.”
While Trump celebrated Kimmel’s removal, such a stance
appears inconsistent with the tradition of free speech in the United States and
contradictory to Trump’s own professed views while campaigning in 2024, Barker
told DW.
“[Kimmel’s comments have] been interpreted in different ways
by different actors,”
Barker said.
“But the bottom line is having
that space for free speech, including speech that people disagree with, was
actually one of the issues that President Trump and Vice President JD Vance ran
on. So to see that the idea of free speech is selectively applied in the United
States seems inconsistent with the message that they were trying to send to
voters last year.”
Opposition Democrats have voiced outrage at what they
describe as a growing attempt by the Trump administration to censor any media
views it considers contrary to its point of view.
The only Democratic member of the FCC, Anna Gomez, said that
under free speech laws, the body, an independent agency of the US government,
should not be able to dictate to broadcasters what they can air.
“This administration is increasingly using the weight
of government power to suppress lawful expression,” she told broadcaster
CNN.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a vocal Trump critic, was
also forthright about the administration’s recent moves against the media.
“Buying and controlling media platforms. Firing
commentators. Canceling shows. These aren’t coincidences. It’s coordinated. And
it’s dangerous,”
he wrote, adding:
“They are censoring you in real time.”
Following the cancellation of Kimmel’s show, the DJV,
Germany’s primary journalists’ organization, has called on major US media
corporations to stand by journalists and protect freedom of the press and
opinion.
“We are observing a rampant erosion of freedom of the
press and freedom of expression in the US,”
DJV head Mika Beuster said in
a statement on Thursday
According to him, ABC made a mistake in its choice, stating
that
“servility toward Trump will not bring them [media companies] peace,
but will result in further pressure.”
Trump has been scolding US media outlets and even suing them
for any coverage that he believes is critical of him or his activities.
For example, he accused Penguin Random House and The New
York Times of unfairly treating him in a $15 billion (€12.7 billion) defamation
case he launched this week.
What are the implications of show cancellations for TV
networks?
Networks often cancel shows due to declining ratings and
viewership, which directly affect advertising revenue. High production costs
can make a show economically unviable if it fails to attract enough viewers or
generate sufficient revenue.
Cancelling underperforming shows allows networks to
reallocate budgets to new or more profitable content, optimizing return on
investment. Frequent cancellations can frustrate loyal viewers, potentially
damaging the network’s reputation and risking loss of audience trust.
Conversely, opening time slots for fresh shows can attract
new viewers and rejuvenate the network’s brand.
