ABC announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely as executives respond to political backlash and threats of regulatory action after Kimmel's remarks about Charlie Kirk's killing. A network spokesperson told HuffPost on Wednesday that the late-night program would be pre-empted indefinitely.
On Monday's show, Kimmel criticized the response from the right, saying, 'In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.' He added that 'we hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang 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.'
FCC Chair Brendan Carr, in an interview with YouTuber Benny Johnson, suggested that ABC and Disney should take action over Kimmel's comments and warned that the FCC could penalize individual broadcasters that air the late-night program. The agency can impose fines and review licenses if it believes broadcasters aren’t operating in the public interest, Carr said.
Nexstar Media Group, which operates a large network of local affiliates, said it would pull Kimmel's program from those stations. In a press release, Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar's broadcasting division, said: 'Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located. Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve is simply not in the public interest at the current time, and we have made the difficult decision to preempt his show in an effort to let cooler heads prevail as we move toward the resumption of respectful, constructive dialogue.'
Variety reported that Nexstar's actions come as the company seeks FCC approval for a major merger it is pursuing.
The move drew reaction from former President Donald Trump, who celebrated the development on Wednesday and urged NBC to similarly drop late-night shows featuring Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers. In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote: 'Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Do it NBC!!! President DJT.'
The episode has fed ongoing concerns about press freedom in American politics, a debate that has intensified as Trump has criticized media outlets and pursued legal action against The New York Times over defamation claims. The synchronized actions by ABC and Nexstar, alongside regulatory warnings and political rhetoric, illustrate the complex intersection of entertainment, regulation, and national discourse at a time of heightened political polarization.
Industry observers note that the timing also intersects with Nexstar's broader corporate strategy as it navigates regulatory scrutiny tied to a significant merger, a factor that some say may influence decisions about content and platform exposure in local markets. In the broader media landscape, the episode highlights how late-night programming and political commentary can rapidly become flashpoints in the tug-of-war between free expression, public interest, local autonomy, and corporate risk management. As the situation develops, broadcasters, lawmakers, and audiences will watch closely for any regulatory actions, potential resolutions with distributors, and how other networks respond to similar howls of protest surrounding politically charged content.