ABC to stop airing Jimmy Kimmel Live!, after host's comments on Charlie Kirk killing

Walt Disney-owned ABC said on Wednesday it will indefinitely stop airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! after remarks the late-night host made in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination came under harsh criticism from the head of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The decision comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly pressured broadcasters to stop airing content he has found objectionable and called on the FCC to pull licenses from stations.

"Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely," an ABC spokesperson said, without elaborating.

There was no immediate comment from Kimmel, whose contract is up in May 2026.

Citytv, owned by Rogers Communications, is the Canadian rights holder of the late-night show.

WATCH | What Kimmel had to say about Kirk's killing: ABC said on Wednesday it will indefinitely stop airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! after remarks the late-night host made in the wake of Charlie Kirk's killing.Guests, audience caught by surprise

An audience was lined up outside the theatre where Jimmy Kimmel Live! tapes when they were told Wednesday's show was cancelled.

"Interestingly enough, they waited to pull the plug on this right as the studio audience was about to walk in," Tommy Williams, a would-be audience member from Jacksonville, Fla., told The Associated Press.

"They didn't tell us what had happened. They just said that the show was cancelled."

Actor-comedian Wanda Sykes posted a video on Instagram, reacting to the news that came on the day she was scheduled to appear on Kimmel's program.

"I'm in a full face of makeup because I was supposed to go over and have a chat with my friend Jimmy Kimmel on his show," Sykes said. "But as you have heard by now, the Jimmy Kimmel show has been pulled indefinitely, abruptly, because of complaints from the Trump administration."

Earlier, Nexstar Media Group, which describes itself as the nation's largest local television and media company, said it would stop airing the show on its 32 ABC affiliates, citing Kimmel's comments.

"Mr. Kimmel's comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse," said Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar's broadcasting division.

Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns about 40 ABC affiliates across the country, said those stations will air a Kirk tribute in the Kimmel time slot on Friday. In addition, the group called on Kimmel to make a "meaningful donation" to Kirk's Turning Point USA, while saying it wouldn't commit to airing Kimmel's show again should it return.

"Regardless of ABC's plans for the future of the program, Sinclair intends not to return Jimmy Kimmel Live! to our air until we are confident that appropriate steps have been taken to uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform."

Trump cheers move

Trump applauded the move in a post on his social media platform Truth Social Wednesday.

"Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done," the president wrote. "Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that's possible."

WATCH | 'We are in a dangerous place,' reporter says on move to pull Kimmel's show:Former entertainment reporter Ali Carbone says she is worried that the U.S. is entering a 'dangerous place of a controlled media' after Jimmy Kimmel Live! was pulled from the air. ABC said on Wednesday it will indefinitely stop airing the show after remarks the late-night host made about the reaction to Charlie Kirk's assassination came under harsh criticism from the head of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

He also seemingly called for two other late-night hosts, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, to be taken off the air by their network, NBC. 

"That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC," Trump wrote. "Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!"

In August, Nexstar announced its intention to acquire Tegna, a rival broadcast company, via a proposed $6.2-billion US deal that is subject to regulatory approval from the FCC.

Kimmel spoke about reaction to Kirk killing

During a recent monologue, Kimmel said the U.S. had hit "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."

Kimmel also criticized Trump's mourning of Kirk, pointing to a video of Trump's comments on the White House lawn.

"In between the finger-pointing, there was, uh, grieving. On Friday, the White House flew the flags at half-staff, which got some criticism, but on a human level you can see how hard the president is taking this," Kimmel said, before cutting to a clip where Trump responded to reporters asking about how he was doing by pointing to construction going on at the White House.

"This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish," he said.

The late-night host did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on Wednesday. Lawmakers and some of Kimmel's fellow entertainers decried the decision to pull the talk show.

"America is meant to be a bastion of free speech," said Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer, in a statement posted on X. "Everybody across the political spectrum should be speaking out to stop what's happening to Jimmy Kimmel."

Unions condemn suspension

The Writers Guild of America West said it "stands with Jimmy Kimmel and his writers."

"The right to speak our minds and to disagree with each other — to disturb, even — is at the very heart of what it means to be a free people. It is not to be denied," said the union representing television writers, among others. 

SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors, said "the decision to suspend airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! is the type of suppression and retaliation that endangers everyone's freedoms."

Without directly naming Kimmel, California Gov. Gavin Newsom accused Republicans of not believing in free speech, pointing to actions that include "firing commentators" and "cancelling shows."

"They are censoring you in real time," the governor said on X.

Earlier on Wednesday, FCC chair Brendan Carr had urged local broadcasters to stop airing the show. He suggested the commission could open an investigation as a result and that broadcasters could potentially be fined or lose their licences if there was a pattern of distorted comment.

'The easy way or the hard way'

"This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney. We can do this the easy way or the hard way," Carr said in a podcast interview with conservative Benny Johnson that aired Wednesday.

"Disney needs to see some change here, but the individual licensed stations that are taking their content, it's time for them to step up and say this, you know, garbage to the extent that that's what comes down the pipe in the future isn't something that we think serves the needs of our local communities."

FCC commissioner Brendan Carr, seen speaking with Trump in November 2024 in Boca Chica, Texas, had urged local broadcasters to stop airing Kimmel's show and suggested the FCC could open an investigation and that broadcasters could potentially be fined or lose their licences if there was a pattern of distorted comment. (Brandon Bell/The Associated Press)

Carr also praised Nexstar. "While this may be an unprecedented decision, it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community values," he said.

FCC commissioner Anna Gomez, the FCC's only Democratic commissioner, criticized Carr. 

"This administration is increasingly using the weight of government power to suppress lawful expression," she said.

Trump has repeatedly sued, berated and threatened media companies whose coverage he disputes with legal or other action.

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Carr, a Trump appointee whose agency regulates broadcast television licences essential to networks like ABC, has echoed Trump's concerns about media bias.

Carr celebrated the July cancellation of CBS's The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, a frequent platform for anti-Trump satire.

CBS said in July it was cancelling Colbert's show for financial reasons, although some critics have suggested his stance on Trump played a role.

"Next up will be an even less talented Jimmy Kimmel," Trump said after Colbert's dismissal.