Disney folded in less than a week when it came to Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension. Part of it was the artist community openly expressing displeasure with censorship, but I believe an even bigger reason why Disney changed course was the mass-cancellation of Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN+ subscriptions. When Jimmy Kimmel Live came back on air last Tuesday, he didn’t apologize but he reiterated what he said previously about Charlie Kirk’s murder, expressing his sympathy to Kirk’s family once again. Kimmel was on a tear all week about Donald Trump though, with sharp jabs and jokes about Trump’s escalator mishap and more. Kimmel is enjoying some of the best ratings in his show’s history, which is even more remarkable when you realize that Nexstar and Sinclair were not airing JKL all of last week. The two right-wing media companies own ABC affiliates across the country, and they both threw tantrums about Kimmel’s jokes and observations. Sinclair even demanded that Kimmel donate to Kirk’s right-wing political action group. Well, funny story. Sinclair and Nexstar capitulated… to Kimmel, not Trump.
The local TV station boycott of ABC‘s Jimmy Kimmel Live! appears to be ending. Sinclair and Nexstar each said that they would end preemption of the late night show Friday night. Sinclair said it made the decision after “thoughtful feedback from viewers, advertisers, and community leaders representing a wide range of perspectives.” That said, while Sinclair appears to have been seeking notable concessions (including an ombudsman at ABC), a source says that no editorial or content concessions were made by Disney.
“In our ongoing and constructive discussions with ABC, Sinclair proposed measures to strengthen accountability, viewer feedback, and community dialogue, including a network-wide independent ombudsman,” Sinclair said in a statement. “These proposals were suggested as collaborative efforts between the ABC affiliates and the ABC network. While ABC and Disney have not yet adopted these measures, and Sinclair respects their right to make those decisions under our network affiliate agreements, we believe such measures could strengthen trust and accountability.”
It was pressure from the station owners Nexstar and Sinclair that initially forced Disney to take Kimmel’s show off-air, with the two companies who collectively control nearly one quarter of all ABC stations saying they were going to preempt the show in the wake of comments he made on the program.
It is worth noting that Nexstar is in the midst of a $6.2 billion deal to acquire Tegna, a deal that if allowed to go through would make it by far the largest owner of local TV stations in the U.S. That deal requires FCC approval. Sinclair, meanwhile, has also said that it wants to engage in M&A, moves that would also require attention from the FCC. Sinclair says that the FCC did not play a role in its decision.
“Our decision to preempt this program was independent of any government interaction or influence,” the company said. “Free speech provides broadcasters with the right to exercise judgment as to the content on their local stations. 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.”
“…It is simply inconsistent to champion free speech while demanding that broadcasters air specific content.” The inconsistency was Sinclair and Nexstar freaking out over a perfectly accurate observation about Charlie Kirk’s alleged shooter and his politics. The inconsistency was Sinclair bizarrely demanding that a late-night talk show host apologize to Kirk’s family – apologize for what, exactly? – and donate to an ultra-right-wing political action group. Sinclair and Nexstar overplayed their hand and this is their acknowledgement of it. The FCC Chairman overplayed his hand as well, and he’s already walking back his juvenile threats too. Trump is the only one still throwing a tantrum about Kimmel, not because of anything Kimmel said about Kirk or Kirk’s shooter, but because of what Kimmel has said about Trump.
Photos and screengrabs courtesy of Avalon Red, ABC/Disney/JKL.
