Television soon after a Sinclair induced interruption… Jimmy Kimmel Live! Nexstar, which owns NewsNation, made the show’s reinstatement public on Friday. The long-running and immensely popular late-night talk show was taken off the air beginning Tuesday night — a huge debate over free speech and accountability in entertainment broadcasting.
The controversy exploded soon after the host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel went ham on the industry in a 15+ minute monologue enough to rile political opponents. Throughout this beautiful speech, Kimmel fervently stood up for the principles of free speech. He threw in some jokes at FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and former President Donald Trump for good measure. He addressed previous comments on the coverage of the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. ABC had lambasted the response for being “ill-timed and insensitive.”
In response to the uproar, Nexstar stated that its decision to preempt Kimmel’s show was taken last week due to concerns over the night’s controversial remarks.
“We made a decision last week to preempt ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ following what ABC referred to as Mr. Kimmel’s ‘ill-timed and insensitive’ comments at a critical time in our national discourse.” – Nexstar
Sinclair, the broadcasting conglomerate that owns most broadcast affiliates, originally ordered the preemption of Kimmel. They gave particular focus to the dangers of irresponsible broadcasting amidst a sometimes incendiary national conversation. They pointed to recent acts of violence to justify their position. Take for instance the recent shooting at an ABC affiliate station in Sacramento.
“We have also witnessed troubling acts of violence, including the despicable incident of a shooting at an ABC affiliate station in Sacramento,” – Sinclair
Sinclair underscored the importance of inviting civil and respectful dialogue in media reporting. He stressed that such incidents show exactly why responsible broadcasting is important.
“These events underscore why responsible broadcasting matters and why respectful dialogue between differing voices remains so important.” – Sinclair
Well, the FCC has weighed into the fray, with Chair Brendan Carr hinting that there could be more than just a slap on the wrist coming from Kimmel’s comments. He mentioned how some advocates are demanding Kimmel’s firing and how others perceive the opportunity for disciplinary action.
“There’s calls for Kimmel to be fired. I think, you know, you could certainly see a path forward for suspension over this and again, you know, the FCC is going to have remedies that we could look at,” – FCC Chair Brendan Carr
Nexstar’s announcement about the reinstatement of Jimmy Kimmel Live! highlighted their focus on local programming and local accountability. They spoke passionately about the need to uphold free speech. Simultaneously, they recognized that there should be guidelines for responsible broadcasting practices, if not universal agreement on most critical programming choices.
“While we understand that not everyone will agree with our decisions about programming, it is simply inconsistent to champion free speech while demanding that broadcasters air specific content.” – Nexstar
The network is still deeply devoted to defending the First Amendment. More importantly, it would help to ensure that the content broadcast is more deeply in the communities’ best interests.
“We stand apart from cable television, monolithic streaming services, and national networks in our commitment — and obligation — to be stewards of the public airwaves and to protect and reflect the specific sensibilities of our communities.” – Nexstar
As the story develops, Kimmel remains an important voice in the growing conversation about media ethics and responsibility. His show remains available nationwide on various Disney-owned streaming platforms while Nexstar focuses on producing local news and programming relevant to its viewers.
