“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is scheduled to return to ABC’s airwaves Tuesday night after a nearly week-long suspension sparked by the host’s comments related to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and subsequent pressure from federal regulators.
Disney‘s (NYSE: DIS) ABC pulled the late-night talk show off the air on September 17 following threats from Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, who suggested the network could face regulatory action over Kimmel’s Monday night monologue. The host had criticized what he called the “MAGA gang” for trying to distance themselves from the suspected shooter in Kirk’s killing.
“Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country,” Disney said Monday in a statement announcing the show’s planned return. The company added that some of Kimmel’s comments were “ill-timed and thus insensitive.”
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The suspension drew swift condemnation from entertainment industry figures and free speech advocates. Over 400 prominent entertainers, including actors Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep and Jennifer Aniston, joined an ACLU-organized letter denouncing the decision as government censorship.
President Donald Trump praised ABC’s initial decision, writing on his Truth Social platform that pulling the “ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show” was “Great News for America.”
The controversy began after Carr threatened ABC affiliates during a podcast appearance, saying “we can do this the easy way or the hard way” regarding potential FCC action. Major station owners Nexstar Media and Sinclair Broadcasting subsequently announced they would preempt the show in their markets.
While ABC plans to restore the program Tuesday night, Sinclair announced it will continue to replace “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” with news programming on its ABC affiliate stations indefinitely, beginning with Tuesday’s scheduled return.
The incident is a case of direct government pressure leading to the suspension of an entertainment program. Democratic leaders called for Carr’s resignation, while FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the lone Democrat on the commission, criticized what she called “clear government intimidation.”
Kimmel’s current contract with ABC runs through May 2026. Industry sources say the longtime host has been considering stepping down from the role in the near future, though specific timing remains unclear.
The show’s suspension briefly left between 200 and 250 staff members in limbo and prompted organized protests outside Disney offices in New York, California, and at the Hollywood theater where the show is recorded.
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