Disney to reinstate Jimmy Kimmel show after free speech backlash
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The news: Walt Disney will put Jimmy Kimmel Live! back on air Tuesday, ending a suspension that highlighted the growing clash between US politics, media and regulation.
The context: The ABC late-night show was pulled last week after host Jimmy Kimmel said conservatives were trying to score political points from the 10 September assassination of Republican activist Charlie Kirk, mocked Donald Trump’s grieving, and accused MAGA supporters of portraying the suspect “as anything other than one of them.”
What they said: In a statement issued to media, Disney said it suspended production to “avoid further inflaming a tense situation” and because “some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive.”
The move came after Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr threatened ABC-owned stations’ licences, and major affiliates Nexstar (which is seeking FCC approval for a USD6.2 billion merger) and Sinclair (a conservative-leaning broadcaster) pulled the program from their schedules.
The suspension drew praise from Trump and Carr but triggered a backlash from viewers and across Hollywood, where more than 400 celebrities signed an American Civil Liberties Union letter calling it “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.”
Some urged viewers to cancel subscriptions to Disney’s streaming services in protest at the suspension. And republican Senator Ted Cruz also criticised Carr’s licence threats as “unbelievably dangerous.”
Kimmel’s return was personally negotiated with Disney chief executive Bob Iger and entertainment co-chair Dana Walden, Bloomberg reported citing unnamed sources.
Nexstar and Sinclair have not confirmed if they will resume broadcasting the show.
