Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

BumRushDaShow

(160,911 posts)
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 05:27 PM Sep 22

FCC chair says US government pressure played no role in Jimmy Kimmel's suspension

Source: Reuters

September 22, 2025 4:46 PM EDT Updated 35 mins ago


WASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Government pressure played no role in the suspension of late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr said on Monday - despite having suggested the ABC host be suspended over remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. "Jimmy Kimmel is in the situation that he is in because of his ratings, not because of anything that's happened at the federal government level," Carr said at a forum in New York.

A growing number of lawmakers had sharply criticized Carr's comments when he urged Disney (DIS.N) and ABC affiliates to take action, saying: "We can do this the easy way or the hard way." On Monday, Disney said the show will return to the air on Tuesday after having conversations with Kimmel. The company said last week it had decided to suspend the show "to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country."

ABC suspended Kimmel's late-night talk show on Wednesday after Carr warned that local broadcasters who aired Kimmel could face fines or loss of licenses and said "it's time for them to step up." The owners of dozens of local TV stations affiliated with ABC said last week they would stop broadcasting the show, including Nexstar (NXST.O), which needs FCC approval for a $6.2 billion merger with Tegna (TGNA.N).

Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez rejected Carr's suggestion. "This wasn't simply a 'business decision,'" Gomez said Monday. "This regrettable chapter is a stain on the FCC. It was a concerning moment of direct government intervention into business decisions."

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/fcc-chair-defends-comments-says-kimmel-not-suspended-because-government-action-2025-09-22/



58 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
FCC chair says US government pressure played no role in Jimmy Kimmel's suspension (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Sep 22 OP
Yes it did................... Lovie777 Sep 22 #1
I love the smell of backfire in the morning... Marie Marie Sep 22 #33
Pathological liars will pathological lie. AZ8theist Tuesday #47
Well, I'm glad he cleared that up. Midnight Writer Sep 22 #2
Considering Kimmel is returning tomorrow, Bluetus Sep 22 #11
YES Skittles Sep 22 #15
Trump don't care Bluetus Sep 22 #18
His handlers and Adderall crunchers probably won't even tell him Jimmy Kimmel is back on the air. rubbersole Sep 22 #32
Do you think Fox will mention it? Bluetus Sep 22 #35
They'll have to say something. Slanted, but something. rubbersole Sep 22 #38
Only if Trump is stupid enough to keep fighting this losing battle Bluetus Sep 22 #43
Only two Republicans objected. Miguelito Loveless Tuesday #58
Liar LookoutMtnWriter Sep 22 #3
Impeach the bastard! pfitz59 Sep 22 #4
It would be a good idea, except MLWR Sep 22 #26
It's insulting, actually, because they think we're gonna buy it and that'll put an end to it. Deuxcents Sep 22 #5
Do you swear to tell the truth or what Trump says the truth is? twodogsbarking Sep 22 #6
Translation: "Fuck you, whaddaya gonna do about it, loser?" Zenlitened Sep 22 #7
Threatening to pull ABC's broadcasting license wasn't a threat? dlk Sep 22 #8
We can do it the easy way OR the hard way......But sure,no Guberment involvement Bengus81 Tuesday #50
LIES, LIES, LIES!! bluestarone Sep 22 #9
No reason whatsoever to believe this. (nt) Paladin Sep 22 #10
I literally laughed out loud reading that headline LyfeTimeDem Sep 22 #12
right? Skittles Sep 22 #14
SURE, BRO Skittles Sep 22 #13
tRUMP's Minister of Propaganda Carr wolfie001 Sep 22 #16
Says who motherfucker? N/t TexasBushwhacker Sep 22 #17
So, now we "do it the hard way?" JoseBalow Sep 22 #19
Nexstar and Sinclair are already monopolies. They don't need this merger. It will be horrific for this country mdbl Sep 22 #20
Fascist and a liar. nt moniss Sep 22 #21
Ultimate Spinoccio BattleRow Sep 22 #22
I DEMAND this administration to explain exactly what BidenRocks Sep 22 #23
FCC chair, LIAR. republianmushroom Sep 22 #24
Guess what, Mr. Carr MLWR Sep 22 #25
"And I am Tsar of all the Russia's!" Grins Sep 22 #27
"Well, that's all right, then!" Otterdaemmerung Sep 22 #28
BS SWBTATTReg Sep 22 #29
I call bs on his statement! kimbutgar Sep 22 #30
Bull crap vapor2 Sep 22 #31
Sure. The funny hued individual Sailingdiver Sep 22 #34
Who is he trying to gaslight? Wiz Imp Sep 22 #36
Too bad for him that he made the unwise move of sending that reporter a clip Baitball Blogger Sep 22 #37
That made me laugh out loud JoseBalow Sep 22 #39
This guy lives in a fantasy world. Talitha Sep 22 #40
This would be a lot more believable Diraven Sep 22 #41
He literally wrote the book on this. BidenRocks Sep 22 #42
"FCC chair says US government pressure played no role in Jimmy Kimmel's suspension" LudwigPastorius Sep 22 #44
So if it was just because of the ratings, why is the show being brought back? onenote Sep 22 #45
Carr is a lying sack of shit Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Tuesday #46
In other words, on the off chance there is ever OrwellwasRight Tuesday #48
yeah, cool story bro. Javaman Tuesday #49
The orange anus is almost guaranteed to be watching the show tonight to see if Jimmy is in anyway repentant. Omnipresent Tuesday #51
I'm hoping for the same thing ! KS Toronado Tuesday #53
So tsf has Brendan Carr using the word "ratings" like it's something evil. KS Toronado Tuesday #52
EFF him...a known liar and trump humper is telling US samnsara Tuesday #54
"We're not done yet." MissMillie Tuesday #55
BELIEVE that, and I am the Virgin Mary.... ProudMNDemocrat Tuesday #56
Brendan Carr is a liar who co-authored the Project 2025 nightmare we are now living under. travelingthrulife Tuesday #57

Marie Marie

(10,568 posts)
33. I love the smell of backfire in the morning...
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 08:27 PM
Sep 22

Keep on over reaching - I also love the look of losing followed by humiliation. Fuck Trump and Carr,. LOSERS!

AZ8theist

(6,906 posts)
47. Pathological liars will pathological lie.
Tue Sep 23, 2025, 03:35 AM
Tuesday

....just like the IMBECILE running the show....

Bluetus

(1,583 posts)
11. Considering Kimmel is returning tomorrow,
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 06:15 PM
Sep 22

this statement from Carr is effectively an admission that his pressure backfired and that the people are vehemently against this kind of fascist censorship. Hell, even Ted Cruz and Rand Paul were with us on this point.

Some fancy back-pedaling.

Skittles

(167,748 posts)
15. YES
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 06:27 PM
Sep 22

and HOPEFULLY they'll think twice before doing it again

imagine the bind this puts that fascist fuck Trump in

Bluetus

(1,583 posts)
18. Trump don't care
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 06:34 PM
Sep 22

In his happy little world of dementia, everything is as he believes it to be. Kimmel is off the air And even if he is on the air, he is not funny and nobody watches. Just like nobody watches South Park.

rubbersole

(10,632 posts)
32. His handlers and Adderall crunchers probably won't even tell him Jimmy Kimmel is back on the air.
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 08:27 PM
Sep 22

rubbersole

(10,632 posts)
38. They'll have to say something. Slanted, but something.
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 09:19 PM
Sep 22

When faux news paid Dominion Voting Systems $787,000,000,000 in the largest settlement in history, faux spent 1 minute saying they had finally settled the suit. Never mentioned the amount or how embarrassing and corrupt it was. It never caused Ol' Rupert to miss a meal.

Bluetus

(1,583 posts)
43. Only if Trump is stupid enough to keep fighting this losing battle
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 10:55 PM
Sep 22

And I would never bet against Trump's degree of stupidity. He is continuously his worst enemy.

Miguelito Loveless

(5,225 posts)
58. Only two Republicans objected.
Tue Sep 23, 2025, 11:20 AM
Tuesday

This is the world we live in, where all but two Republicans are advocates of our dictator.

3. Liar
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 05:32 PM
Sep 22

He lies well. I have no doubt he has been talking to Trump before every move. Trump himself provides information on who's next.

MLWR

(572 posts)
26. It would be a good idea, except
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 08:02 PM
Sep 22

you couldn't find 3 "R" senators, much less 19, who have the guts, the spine or the cojones to vote to convict and remove.

Zenlitened

(9,531 posts)
7. Translation: "Fuck you, whaddaya gonna do about it, loser?"
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 06:00 PM
Sep 22

They know they’re lying. They know we know they’re lying. For fascists, authoritarians, whatever you want to call them, this is just another way to flex their power.

Compare with his statement just last week and point out the contradiction? Ha. They love it. Hypocrisy just another flex. They love this shit.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," Carr told the right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson. "These companies can find ways to change conduct to take action on Kimmel or, you know, there's going to be additional work for the FCC ahead."

Nexstar and Sinclair Broadcast Group – two huge corporations that own many local television stations including dozens of ABC affiliates – weighed in within hours to announce they would pull Kimmel's show indefinitely. Then, so did ABC. Nexstar, Sinclair and ABC's corporate owner, the Walt Disney Co., all have major deals pending that require approval by either the FCC or federal antitrust regulators.


https://www.npr.org/2025/09/19/nx-s1-5546764/fcc-brendan-carr-kimmel-trump-free-speech

LyfeTimeDem

(64 posts)
12. I literally laughed out loud reading that headline
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 06:17 PM
Sep 22

Looks like the threat of a lawsuit caused a glitch in the matrix

mdbl

(7,459 posts)
20. Nexstar and Sinclair are already monopolies. They don't need this merger. It will be horrific for this country
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 07:02 PM
Sep 22

The Kimmel debacle proves how bad it is already.

BidenRocks

(2,277 posts)
23. I DEMAND this administration to explain exactly what
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 08:00 PM
Sep 22

TRUST and INTEGRITY are.

I trust NOTHING they say!
I trust NOTHING they promise!

I no longer have trust in the integrity and fidelity of the united (?) states!

Keep talking shit!

We know you will!

SWBTATTReg

(25,717 posts)
29. BS
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 08:11 PM
Sep 22

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way."

Because some people have sensitive feelings and get hurt oh so easily, It's funny how fast that they can turn on a dime against Kimmel but in other areas where you have cretins like tRUMP and others who oh so easily get their feelings hurt.

Wiz Imp

(7,547 posts)
36. Who is he trying to gaslight?
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 08:56 PM
Sep 22
https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/brendan-carr-abc-fcc-jimmy-kimmel-charlie-kirk-1236522406/

FCC Chairman Threatens ABC Over Jimmy Kimmel’s Remarks About Charlie Kirk’s Killer

FCC chairman Brendan Carr has threatened to take action against ABC after Jimmy Kimmel said in a monologue that “the MAGA gang” was attempting to portray Charlie Kirk‘s assassin as “anything other than one of them.”

Appearing on Benny Johnson’s podcast on Wednesday, Carr suggested that the FCC has “remedies we can look at.”

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

A few hours after Carr’s remarks, ABC announced that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will be preempted indefinitely, shortly after Nexstar, which operates 32 ABC affiliates, said it would not broadcast the show for the “foreseeable future.”

Threats don't get any more brazen than that. Hell, even Republicans Ted Cruz and Rand Paul said he was acting like a mafia boss.

Baitball Blogger

(51,008 posts)
37. Too bad for him that he made the unwise move of sending that reporter a clip
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 09:14 PM
Sep 22

of the Office where the characters were celebrating. Because he surely made it look like he was celebrating.

Diraven

(1,615 posts)
41. This would be a lot more believable
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 10:31 PM
Sep 22

If he wouldn't have been recorded bragging about it on a podcast.

onenote

(45,689 posts)
45. So if it was just because of the ratings, why is the show being brought back?
Mon Sep 22, 2025, 11:15 PM
Sep 22

Did it's ratings improve when it wasn't on?

If Carr is going to lie, he needs to try out some new material.

OrwellwasRight

(5,267 posts)
48. In other words, on the off chance there is ever
Tue Sep 23, 2025, 06:30 AM
Tuesday

A consequence to face for my unethical behavior, I want to start building a defense now.

Omnipresent

(7,222 posts)
51. The orange anus is almost guaranteed to be watching the show tonight to see if Jimmy is in anyway repentant.
Tue Sep 23, 2025, 08:57 AM
Tuesday

What he will see, is Jimmy roasting the living hell out of him!

KS Toronado

(21,395 posts)
52. So tsf has Brendan Carr using the word "ratings" like it's something evil.
Tue Sep 23, 2025, 08:58 AM
Tuesday

How many republicans are using the term "ratings" in their speeches?

My neighbor is one of them, had one hell of a discussion over that yesterday.

samnsara

(18,634 posts)
54. EFF him...a known liar and trump humper is telling US
Tue Sep 23, 2025, 09:00 AM
Tuesday

..what to believe? EFF HIM. We the people do NOT listen to the likes of him. We KNOW it worked. WE WERE THERE! We saw!


#SinclairOutOfSeattle

ProudMNDemocrat

(20,264 posts)
56. BELIEVE that, and I am the Virgin Mary....
Tue Sep 23, 2025, 10:09 AM
Tuesday

TACO Don has his fingers in EVERYTHING!

Just like he had NO knowledge of the 2016 meeting with Jr. and the Russians at Trump Tower in NYC that was said to be about "Adopting Russian children." The actual intent was getting dirt on Hillary Clinton. .

Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»FCC chair says US governm...