ABC said yesterday that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be “pre-empted indefinitely”, without giving further explanation.
It followed Kimmel addressing the fallout of the shooting of Trump ally Charlie Kirk on his show.
Kimmel’s remarks didn’t specifically tackle any direct actions or statements made by the controversial Kirk. Instead, he criticized the MAGA movement for using the situation surrounding his death for political advantage, claiming they were “doing everything possible” to dissociate accused shooter Tyler Robinson from their group.
Robinson, raised in a conservative household with parents registered as Republicans, seemingly began to shift towards left-leaning ideologies recently, as per the findings shared by investigators based on information from his family members.
Following this, at least two prominent owners of ABC-affiliated stations expressed their intent to preempt Kimmel’s show, leading to talks about whether these owners aimed to gain favor with the current administration.
The local media conglomerates are each seeking mergers that would require administration approval.
Brendan Carr, the FCC head appointed by Trump, labeled Kimmel’s comments as the “most egregious behavior” and warned of penalties against ABC if corrective measures were not implemented.
