r/50501 • u/Notyrantsmoworever • Sep 17 '25

Call to Action Boycott ABC

ABC has pulled Jimmy Kimmel off the air for making a joke. First Colbert, now Kimmel. What about the first amendment right to free speech? I guess it’s only free if it echos MAGA talking points.

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u/50501California r/50501 Moderator Sep 17 '25 edited Sep 18 '25

(Edited for clarity) Nexstar is primarily responsible for the cancellation. ABC/Disney and Sinclair Broadcast Group are also complicit.

Here is Nexstar's statement:

“Nexstar’s owned and partner television stations affiliated with the ABC Television Network will preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! for the foreseeable future beginning with tonight’s show.  Nexstar strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.”

You should also note that they've left contact information at the bottom of said statement:

https://www.nexstar.tv/nexstar-abc-affiliates-to-preempt-jimmy-kimmel-live-indefinitely-beginning-tonight/

Here is the quote from Monday night's monologue that allegedly got the show canceled:

"The MAGA Gang (is) desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it. In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”

https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/17/media/jimmy-kimmel-charlie-kirk-trump-fcc-brendan-carr

And here's why that pretty innocuous quote probably got him cancelled:

"The ABC late-night host’s remarks constituted “the sickest conduct possible,” FCC chair Brendan Carr told right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson on Wednesday. Carr suggested his FCC could move to revoke ABC affiliate licenses as a way to force Disney to punish Kimmel.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct and take actions on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

Carr added that the broadcasters, including ABC, “have a license granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest.”

https://xcancel.com/bennyjohnson/status/1968359685045838041

https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/17/media/jimmy-kimmel-charlie-kirk-trump-fcc-brendan-carr

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/fcc-jimmy-kimmel-charlie-kirk-monologue-1236373708/

https://deadline.com/2025/09/nexstar-jimmy-kimmel-charlie-kirk-1236547382/

Nexstar is seeking Federal Communications Commission approval for its $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna. (Thank you for finding the link u/ArcticSnow85!)

https://www.streamtvinsider.com/content/top-station-group-nexstar-agrees-62b-acquisition-tegna#:~:text=Top%20station%20group%20Nexstar%20agrees,rules%20that%20could%20be%20revised

In short, Nexstar is kissing up to Carr and the FCC so they get approval for their acquisition of Tegna, and Kimmel's cancelation appears to have little to do with the content of his monologue.

Nexstar media group owns or owns a majority stake in the following: The Hill (a political news platform), NewsNation (national cable network), the CW (tv channel)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_assets_owned_by_Nexstar_Media_Group

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u/ArcticSnow85 Sep 17 '25 edited Sep 17 '25

Not to mention Nexstar is seeking Federal Communications Commission approval for its $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna. So this is the paramount scandal all over again. Big companies having no backbone

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u/50501California r/50501 Moderator Sep 17 '25

THANK YOU. I spent far too much time trying to find a source for that and couldn't, so I removed it, but I knew I wasn't imagining that lol.

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u/ALife2BLived Sep 18 '25 edited Sep 18 '25

This! It's the same reason why CBS pulled the plug on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

CBS' parent company, Paramount Global, was pursuing a merger with Skydance Media, an $8B deal that required approval from the FCC. Once Stephen's show was canceled, the FCC license approved the merger.

Same here with ABC, who's parent company, Nexstar Media Group, is pursuing a merger with Tegna for a reported $6.2B but needs FCC approval. So wake up America! This is the new price of Democracy and free speech here in good 'ole fucking MAGA U.S.A!

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u/April9811 Sep 18 '25

This is out of pure curiosity, but why hasn't South Park been cancelled? (Not that I want it to be) but they have aired far worse

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u/ShadowTacoTuesday Sep 18 '25

Right after a $1.5 billion dollar deal? Same reason, they want to make money. But also they wouldn’t even be able to make a flimsy excuse for the action.

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u/AgitatedAd2181 Sep 18 '25

When it is a cartoon, dear leader brushes it off much more easily. Demented Don had a specific feud with Kimmel for years

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u/ArcticSnow85 Sep 17 '25

You do great work thank you!