FCC chairman Brendan Carr has denied that White House pressure on Jimmy Kimmel was behind the decision to order ABC to apply to renew its broadcast licenses.
It was announced yesterday that the Disney-owned network is being required to renew its licenses by May 28, even though they are not due to expire until 2028.
That decision came soon after the FCC received a complaint against ABC late night host Kimmel following his joke last week suggesting that First Lady Melania Trump had the glow of an “expectant widow.” Days after the sketch aired, a gunman attempted to storm Saturday night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
As Deadline reports, Carr denied Thursday that the events were linked and claimed the decision was due to an existing DEI investigation. “This was based on DEI conduct, not speech,” said Carr. “The FCC has rules on the books.”
He continued: “You can’t discriminate based on race and gender, and there’s evidence that have been submitted that that’s what Disney was doing, and so that’s the timeline of the agency’s actions.”
However, Carr did respond to Donald Trump calling on ABC to fire Kimmel by saying the president has “every right” to make that demand, adding: “There’s a lot of people who agree with the president on this one.”
The Trump administration is also responsible for recent changes in DEI policies, which the president has characterized as resulting in white people being treated “very badly.” His administration has rapidly dismantled diversity, equity and inclusion offices, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has urged white men to come forward if they believe they have experienced discrimination at work.
The agency, established under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, enforces federal anti-discrimination laws in hiring and in the workplace, where employers are prohibited from discriminating against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, religion, sex, skin color, national origin, age, disability or genetic information.
Last December the agency’s acting chair, Andrea Lucas, posted a video on social media asking: “Are you a white male who has experienced discrimination at work based on your race or sex?” Lucas — a prominent critic of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts — said white men “may have a claim to recover money under federal civil rights laws.”
Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the Correspondents’ Dinner shooting, the Trumps have called for Kimmel’s broadcaster, ABC, to take action against the comedian, accusing him of sharing violent rhetoric.
After encouraging Kimmel’s firing Monday in a Truth Social post, the president shared another plea Thursday morning for the broadcaster to do something “soon.”
In a Thursday morning Truth Social rant, Trump wrote: “When is ABC Fake News Network firing seriously unfunny Jimmy Kimmel, who incompetently presides over one of the Lowest Rated shows on Television? People are angry. It better be soon!!! President DJT.”
Kimmel is under contract with ABC until 2027.
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