Experts are cautioning that the cancellation of the Jimmy Kimmel Live! program is consistent with the Trump Administration’s wider efforts to silence dissenters, coming as government scrutiny of media companies and the press escalates.
The late-night program was canceled only hours after Brendan Carr, Chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), indicated potential regulatory measures against ABC following remarks Kimmel made concerning the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk. Carr stated, “They hold a license issued by us at the FCC, which carries a responsibility to serve the public interest.”
According to experts, this indefinite cancellation—conditional on a personal donation and a public apology to the Kirks and Turning Point USA—is indicative of the Administration’s increasing tactics of intimidation, to which many media executives have yielded.
“Currently, their decisions prioritize business interests, yet they significantly conflict with journalistic principles and the interests of a democratic society,” noted Amy Kristin Sanders, a former journalist and Penn State professor specializing in the First Amendment.
Heidi Kitrosser, a professor at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, asserts this dispute is part of the government’s “broader pressure campaign” targeting individuals who openly disagree with the President.
Last December, ABC reached a settlement in a defamation lawsuit brought by Trump concerning an incorrect statement made by anchor George Stephanopoulos. Paramount, CBS’s parent company, also settled a legal complaint from the President regarding the editing of a “60 Minutes” interview. In July, CBS cancelled *The Late Show with Stephen Colbert*, an action largely perceived as politically driven, occurring as the company pursued FCC approval for a merger between Skydance and Paramount. CBS, however, attributed the cancellation solely to financial reasons.
This move by ABC follows an announcement by Nexstar Media Group, owner of ABC affiliate stations, that they would pre-empt Kimmel’s program. Nexstar is currently involved in a $6.2 billion merger with competitor Tegna, a deal requiring FCC approval.
On Wednesday night, President Donald Trump praised the decision on Truth Social, commending the network for “displaying the courage to take necessary action.” The President claimed Kimmel was dismissed primarily because of “poor ratings,” additionally stating that Kimmel uttered “a terrible remark about an excellent gentleman.”
TIME contacted the FCC for comment. The White House responded to TIME’s inquiry by directing to a statement from Deputy White House Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich. Budowich posted on X, “Unfunny jokes & subpar TV are detrimental to business. ABC is no longer immobilized by fear of the woke mob.” He added, “This wisecracking individual ought to be thankful for his tenure.”
Carr informed CNBC on Thursday that transformations within the “media ecosystem” were “still underway.”
The cancellation is an extraordinary move
Experts describe the cancellation of Kimmel’s program as an extraordinary escalation. The FCC lacks the power to unilaterally revoke licenses, as it only licenses individual broadcast systems, a constraint established by the First Amendment and the Communications Act of 1934.
Even with Carr mentioning the FCC’s “distinct responsibility to function in the public interest,” the agency is unable to prohibit the airing of particular viewpoints, including those opposing the President’s. The FCC stated, “The Commission has noted that the public interest is most effectively served by allowing the free expression of opinions.”
Bob Corn-Revere, chief legal counsel for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a non-profit civil liberties organization, highlighted that no FCC chair has ever construed the public interest standard to justify government interference with particular programs or hosts “simply because their content is disliked.” Furthermore, Section 236 of the Communications Act expressly forbids government censorship.
The response was immediate: Numerous civil liberties groups, politicians, and other organizations have condemned both ABC’s decision and the threats issued by the FCC Chair. Rep. Robert Garcia announced Thursday his intention to initiate an investigation into the Trump Administration, ABC, and Sinclair.
The organization representing writers for *Jimmy Kimmel Live!* strongly denounced the suspension of Kimmel’s late-night program. A coalition of Congressional Democrats underscored the necessity of strengthening free speech rights nationwide by introducing the No Political Enemies Act, a bill designed to safeguard critics of the federal government.
Conversely, right-wing commentators have defended the choice, attributing Kimmel’s dismissal to the substance of his monologue. Political commentator Megyn Kelly stated on Wednesday, “I’m not sure who needs to hear this but Jimmy Kimmel went on air and falsely asserted as fact that Charlie Kirk’s killer was MAGA, thereby smearing an entire movement and Trump specifically with a repulsive, disgusting falsehood.” She added, “I am absolutely certain ABC was inundated with enraged calls/comments/emails from genuinely frustrated viewers, realizing it had crossed a profoundly serious boundary.”
Experts continue to assert that ABC’s actions were carried out under governmental pressure.
Kitrosser remarked, “This marks a pivotal moment, indicating that our fundamental right as Americans to speak freely and critique our government is at risk.” She concluded, “The authority to regulate in the public interest, if it can indeed align with the First Amendment, neither permits nor encompasses instructing broadcasters that they may only convey favorable opinions about the President, or those individuals favored by the President. Such an imposition completely contravenes their responsibility to prevent censorship.”
