# ABC pulls Jimmy Kimmel show indefinitely because of comments about GOP response to Charlie Kirk death. (Kimmel will be back on air Tuesday 2025-09-23) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 17, 2025, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138 "2025-09-17T23:27:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 19
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138/364 "2025-09-23T16:25:26Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > Are affiliates allowed by contract to pick and choose programming? What are an affiliate’s obligations to the parent network? Can an affiliate choose to air anything they want from the syndication catalogue at any time? Can I be the local ABC affiliate and not run World News Tonight? Yes, they are allowed to not run every network program. They are contractually obligated to carry at least a certain (probably large) percentage of the network’s total schedule, and are particularly encouraged to carry the more high-profile programs, especially in prime-time. There may be some contractual penalties involved if they choose to not run lots of things, but choosing to not run one particular non-prime-time program is generally well within their rights. Parenthetical: when I was a kid in the late ‘70s in Green Bay, NBC’s _Saturday Night Live_ wasn’t carried on the local NBC affiliate for its first three seasons. The local affiliate argued that the show’s edgy content wasn’t aligned with their viewers’ interests (in a small, fairly conservative market), and so, they didn’t carry SNL for years (instead opting to run old movies in that late-night slot. It wasn’t until SNL had become a bona fide hit and media phenomenon, and the station had gotten enough complaints from their viewers, that they finally started airing it. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138/365 "2025-09-23T16:32:19Z")
How much control do independently owned stations have? Sinclair Group owns/operates 294 television stations, Nexstar owns/operates 200 television stations, and the number of independent television stations is a whopping _88_. Any argument that Kimmel was suspended because the affiliates wanted him gone/punished is dead in the water, as is the excuse that it is they that are demanding he be further punished after ABC took him back. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138/366 "2025-09-23T16:49:26Z")
Bringing on Gavin Newsome as his first guest certainly contradicts the idea that they’ll try to steer him away from offending Trump ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138/367 "2025-09-23T16:54:56Z")
I don’t know how common my viewing habits are but I never watch the show proper - I just watch the videos posted on YouTube. If that practice is more common than I know than Sinclair will be shit out of luck with their little ionization blackout deal anyway. I don’t know if it’s being preempted in my neighborhood, but I’m pretty sure I’m in a Sinclair city. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138/368 "2025-09-23T17:55:26Z")
Sorry. Newsom. No ‘e.’ ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138/369 "2025-09-23T18:04:37Z")
I live in a Sinclair ABC city, Portland, and the on-air XFinity guide says Kimmel is on tonight, as does the KATU site itself. On the other hand, this site (and quite a few others) say it isn’t going to happen. [These are the Sinclair and Nexstar-owned ABC stations that won’t air Jimmy Kimmel’s return](https://nypost.com/2025/09/23/media/these-are-the-sinclair-owned-abc-stations-that-wont-air-jimmy-kimmels-return/) ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138/370 "2025-09-23T18:32:08Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > And it’s worth noting that they suspended him to “avoid further inflaming a tense situation”, not because “his ratings were down”. Are you telling me that all the people claiming this were lying? I’m shocked. (narrator: He’s not shocked) ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138/371 "2025-09-23T18:35:25Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > The way I read this, Nexstar’s demand is no more political jokes. No, political jokes will be OK, as will suggesting that the homeless get lethal injections. What is off the table is any mocking of Dear Leader Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138/372 "2025-09-23T18:40:39Z")
Not only is our Sinclair ABC station not airing Kimmel tonight, they aren’t even reporting anywhere that ABC has put Kimmel back on the air! It looks like FOX has competition when it comes to news repression. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138/373 "2025-09-23T19:58:39Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > What is off the table is any mocking of Dear Leader Trump. Tis a dark day when a king fears a jester. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138/374 "2025-09-23T22:26:30Z")
So, in the middle of this public-relations disaster, what does Disney decide to do? > **[Disney decides it hasn’t angered people enough, announces Disney+ price hikes](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/09/disney-decides-it-hasnt-angered-people-enough-announces-disney-price-hikes/)** > > In case you needed another reason to get rid of Disney+. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138/375 "2025-09-24T01:19:19Z")
> **[FCC Chairman Says His “Easy Way Or The Hard Way” Comment About Jimmy Kimmel...](https://deadline.com/2025/09/jimmy-kimmel-fcc-brendan-carr-threat-1236552608/)** > > FCC Chairman Brendan Carr sought to explain what he meant by "we can do this the easy way or the hard way" in addressing Jimmy Kimmel's remarks on Kirk shooter. As usual, I’m reminded of The Simpsons. Lawyer: What about that tattoo on your chest? Doesn’t it say, “Die, Bart, die?” Sideshow Bob: No! That’s German for, “the, Bart, the.” MAGA really has a low opinion of the intellect of the average American. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138/376 "2025-09-24T01:33:12Z")
I hope Kimmel comes out swinging. Not angry (because Trump would get a kick out of that and it’s guaranteed he’ll be watching) but calmly, coldly tearing Trump a new one and making a point to say Trump will never silence him. Remind the nation and the world that Kimmel might be the jester but Trump is the clown. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138/377 "2025-09-24T01:36:01Z")
I think he should laugh at Trump. Make Trump the butt of every joke. Let Trump see the country laughing at him. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138/378 "2025-09-24T01:56:38Z")
I don’t think that Trump’s handlers will ever let him see the country laughing at him. If Kimmel gets too far into ketchup-stained wall territory, someone will say, “Oh, look, Mr. Trump, there’s a Frasier rerun on channel 104 …” ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138/379 "2025-09-24T01:57:25Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > I don’t think that Trump’s handlers will ever let him see the country laughing at him. The guy is an addicted consumer of social media. I’m pretty sure that he’ll see it. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138/380 "2025-09-24T02:09:34Z")
He’ll see all the ersatz Charlie Kirks describing what Kimmel said complete with backward-ass MAGA analysis included and _that’s_ what he’ll run with. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138/381 "2025-09-24T02:13:37Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > there’s a Frasier rerun on channel 104 … KOMO-TV is the Seattle ABC affiliate… And it’s channel 104 on Xfinity here. KOMO is owned by Sinclair Broadcasting Group, so Kimmel’s show will not be shown here. > [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > MAGA analysis MAGAnalysis? ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138/382 "2025-09-24T02:21:52Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > KOMO-TV is the Seattle ABC affiliate… And it’s channel 104 on Xfinity here. > > KOMO is owned by Sinclair Broadcasting Group, so Kimmel’s show will not be shown here. Enjoy that Frasier rerun, Johnny! 😉 (No, I understand that Sinclair stations that are not carrying Kimmel will be showing news instead. But you set it up so well, I couldn’t resist.) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138/383 "2025-09-24T02:25:30Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > How much control do independently owned stations have? Sinclair Group owns/operates 294 television stations, Nexstar owns/operates 200 television stations, and the number of independent television stations is a whopping _88_. I’m not sure where you’re getting the numbers from. According to Wikipedia, [Sinclair](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_Broadcast_Group) operates 193 television stations; of those, roughly 40 are ABC affiliates. [Nexstar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nexstar_Media_Group) operates 197 stations (not counting the 68 stations owned by [Tegna](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tegna_Inc.), with which they are planning to merge); of those, roughly 30 of those are ABC affiliates. ABC has about 250 stations in their overall network: 8 owned-and-operated stations and about 240 affiliates. That’s a similar number to the number of network stations for the others in the “Big 4” (NBC ~230, CBS ~240, Fox ~240). So, given that: - Between Sinclair and Nexstar, they operate about 28% of all of ABC’s network stations. - Those two companies operate about 40% of the U.S.'s 960 stations for the big four broadcast networks. The remaining 60% are operated by media companies that are smaller than those two, though still pretty big in the absolute (including Gray, Hearst, Scripps, etc.), as well as, likely, there still being some truly independent ones (i.e., owned by a company which only operates one or two stations). Are they way too big and way too powerful, even if they still only control a minority of US over-the-air network stations? Definitely. But they do not have a duopoly (not yet, anyway), by any means. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138.md?page=18) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-pulls-jimmy-kimmel-show-indefinitely-because-of-comments-about-gop-response-to-charlie-kirk-death-kimmel-will-be-back-on-air-tuesday-2025-09-23/1023138.md?page=20)