The program “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” It was abruptly and indefinitely taken down last week after the president of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, threatened ABC due to comments made by Kimmel in a monologue about the Movement’s response to Charlie Kirk’s murder
The program ”Jimmy Kimmel Live!” It will air on ABC on Tuesday night, announced the television in a statement.
“Last Wednesday, we decided to suspend the production of the program to avoid further aggravating a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country,” said A ABC owner of Walt Disney, ABC, in a CNN statement. “It’s a decision we made because we felt that some of the comments were inopportune and therefore insensitive. We spent the last days to have conversations with Jimmy and, after these conversations, we reached the decision to resume the program on Tuesday.”
The program “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” It was abruptly and indefinitely taken down last week after the Federal Communications’ chairman Brendan Carr and affiliated broadcasters threatened ABC due to comments made by Kimmel in a monologue about the Movement’s response to Charlie Kirk’s murder.
The measure caused a national debate on government interference and freedom of expression between the supporters of the administration of President Donald Trump and Kimmel, who have been openly critical of each other over the years.
There were organized protests against Disney outside the company’s offices in New York and Burbank, California, last week, as well as outside the theater where Kimmel’s program is recorded in Hollywood.
On Monday, more than 400 artists, including Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep and Jennifer Aniston, signed an Open Letter, organized by ACLU, in support of Kimmel.
Analysts observed how Disney CEO Bob Iger and Disney Entertainment co -president Dana Walden dealt with competing pressures. Disney needs government approval for pending agreements, such as ESPN with NFL, while many of its partner broadcasters are in the same situation. In addition, Kimmel’s contract expires in May and the night TV’s audience and revenue are declining.
Still, Kimmel’s sudden suspension caused a shock in the entertainment industry, where the longtime comedian and presenter is very respected, both inside and outside ABC.
Its program employs between 200 and 250 people. During the WGA strike, which paralyzed Hollywood productions in 2023, Kimmel provided funds to his team when the production of his program was interrupted. When production was interrupted again during the Forest Fires in Los Angeles earlier this year, the program’s studio was used as a donation center to collect and distribute resources to people affected by the disaster.
