The return last Tuesday (23) was just a chapter in a dispute that involves some of the most traditional American media companies-ABC, NBC and NBS-, the United States government and the local regulatory agency, the federal communications commission (FCC, or Federal Communications Commission).
One of these companies starred in the controversy involving Kimmel last week and renewed the movement yesterday (23). Nextar, owner of ABC affiliates around all the United States, has decided not to broadcast the program and will replace it with a journalistic programming.
Next to “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Even before Disney (), ABC controller, decide for the temporary cancellation of the program. The companies made the decision after Kimmel’s speech about the murder of activist and ally of Donald Trump, Charlie Kirk, in mid -September.
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“The Maga Gang [movimento Make America Great Again] He is desperate to characterize this boy who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything to take political advantage of it, ”he said in a program.
Nexstar’s reaction did not only come after Kimmel’s comments, but also from FCC President Brendan Carr to the conservative Benny Johnson podcast. Trump’s fierce ally, Carr stated that companies like Disney would have the means to act on the Kimmel case, “or there will be additional work for the FCC in the future.”
The comment, read as a threat by critics, was made by the president of the body who is also responsible for approving operations such as the acquisition of Tegna by Nextar, its competitor, valued at $ 6.2 billion. The business would create the first company in the sector with 90% of US homes.
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FCC mobilizes investigations against large networks
Since Carr took office, the FCC has started a series of investigations against media companies criticized by the Trump administration. Although the most recent case involving ABC has not launched a formal assessment of the agency against the company, it has been in the sights of the FCC before, as well as the other broadcasters that make up the so -called “Big Three”, CBS and NBC.
In March, Carr sent a letter to Disney CEO Bob Iger, announcing the opening of an investigation against the company and its controlled, ABC on the “promotion of individuals to forms of discrimination”, referring to the acronym used by diversity, equality and inclusion programs.
“As I made clear, promoting hateful forms of discrimination cannot be reconciled with any reasonable interpretation of federal law,” he told a letter sent to the executive. “President Trump took quick and decisive measures about it. In his first week in office, President Trump issued an executive order that will end the radical and expensive programs of Dei that spread to the federal government.”
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Out of the FCC jurisdiction, the US President himself sued ABC, ABC News and the host George Stephanopoulos for defamation in a case solved by a $ 15 million agreement.
Another FCC investigation involving diversity and inclusion policies was opened against Comcast and NBCuniversal, owners of NBC News.
Comcast decided in November 2024 to divide most of its NBCuniversal cable television operation into a repositioning for a little encouraging future in this segment. Although unlikely, a letter from a New Street Research analyst published by Thewrap alert to the risk that Trump ask authorities to “slow down or interfere in the transaction involving MSNBC – a great enemy of Trump – until Trump receives some kind of concession about how MSNBC covers news in the future.”
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On his social network, Trump even stated that “ABC and NBC [são] Fake News, two of the worst and most biased broadcasters in history, give me 97% of negative stories. ”The president accused companies of being arms of the Democratic Party and signaled that” for many, they should have their licenses revoked by the FCC. “
Closing the crack of the largest television stations in the country, CBS was the target of FCC investigations due to a complaint filed by a conservative group that alleged “news distortion”. The “60 Minutes” program with the Biden Government vice president and presidential candidate in 2026, Kamala Harris, was the target of critics.
Donald Trump also sued CBS controller Paramount by the same interview, arguing that the interview was misleadingly edited. The lawsuit was terminated in July after an agreement of $ 16 million. CBS has always denied the allegations about the interview.
All offensive against for $ 8 billion, on the demand for approval by the FCC. Carr stated at a press conference that the process “has nothing to do” with the revision of the agency.
In a case that finds Jimmy Kimmel’s current cancellation of the program, CBS announced in June the cancellation of the program “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert”. The justification, at the time, was spending. The decision, however, generated controversy in Hollywood, as the program is one of the audience leaders at its time, with 9% of viewers. The following month, the FCC approved the merger of Paramount and Skydance under concessions such as the creation of an ombudsman to review “Complaints about bias” at CBS News and promising not to implement Dei’s initiatives.
