ABC is pulling Jimmy Kimmel after a wave of criticism over the late night host's recent comments in the wake of Charlie Kirk's killing.
Why it matters: Kimmel is among the most high-profile people to face professional consequences for criticizing the conservative activist killed last week.
What they're saying: An ABC spokesperson said in a statement to Axios, "Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely."
Zoom in: The move comes shortly after Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr warned ABC about potential action over Kimmel's comments.
- In an interview posted Wednesday, Carr suggested broadcasters pull or preempt "garbage" content to avoid the "possibility of fines or license revocations from the FCC."
- Nexstar, one of the largest local broadcast station groups, said it would preempt "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" beginning Wednesday night over the host's comments about Kirk.
- Carr thanked Nexstar and said he hoped other broadcasters would follow its lead.
The intrigue: Just a few weeks ago, Nexstar announced a whopping $6.2 billion deal to acquire Tegna, a massive merger of local TV stations that would require regulatory approval from the FCC.
Catch up quick: In his Monday night opening monologue, Kimmel criticized conservatives over their response to Kirk's killing.
- "We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang 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.
- "In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving."
The big picture: ABC's decision comes at a difficult time for late-night comedy, when a hyper partisan political environment risks alienating sizable audiences or drawing ire from people in power, as Axios' Sara Fischer previously reported.
- In July, CBS said it would cancel The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," citing financial reasons. President Trump celebrated the move to cancel Colbert and had warned Kimmel was next.
- Carr said on Fox News' "Hannity" Wednesday night that Colbert and Kimmel are " facing the consequences of the choices that they made to appeal to a very, very narrow audience" and "if you're going to have a license from the FCC, we expect you to broadly serve the public interest."
The bottom line: It's another sign of the shift in standards around free speech as employers take swift action against those who attempt to justify or minimize the killing of Kirk — or even criticize him, as reported by Axios' Eleanor Hawkins and Emily Peck.
- "The government pressured ABC — and ABC caved," said Ari Cohn, lead counsel for tech policy at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a free speech group.
- "We cannot be a country where late night talk show hosts serve at the pleasure of the president. But until institutions grow a backbone and learn to resist government pressure, that is the country we are."
More from Axios:
- What Jimmy Kimmel said about Charlie Kirk's killing
- Kimmel joins those facing professional repercussions over Kirk comments
- White House, Trump cheer ABC over Kimmel suspension: "Jimmy is a sick freak!"
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
