Jimmy Kimmel Live! could soon return; only Emmy-winner can get it out of suspension
Jimmy Kimmel Live! could return soon, but its Emmy-winning host will have to fulfil one condition
Jimmy Kimmel Live! could return soon, but its Emmy-winning host will have to fulfil one condition. Sinclair, the largest owner of stations that are affiliated with Fox, NBC, CBS, and ABC, on Wednesday, gave a list of demands for Jimmy Kimmer to end his late-night show's suspension after it was ‘indefinitely’ pulled for the 57-year-old's comments on Charlie Kirk's assassination.
"Mr. Kimmel's remarks were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country," Sinclair vice chairman Jason Smith said. "We believe broadcasters have a responsibility to educate and elevate respectful, constructive dialogue in our communities."
"We appreciate FCC Chairman [Brendan] Carr's remarks today and this incident highlights the critical need for the FCC to take immediate regulatory action to address control held over local broadcasters by the big national networks," Smith added.
Sinclair asked Kimmel to issue a ‘direct apology’ to Charlie Kirk's family and make a ‘meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA’. The company noted that 'regardless of ABC's plans for the future of the program', the Jimmy Kimmel-led show will not return until it is ‘confident that appropriate steps have been taken to uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform’.
Walt Disney Co. executives will meet Kimmel to discuss the future of his program, Bloomberg reported, citing sources. Meanwhile, it was revealed that Jon Stewart plans to host Thursday’s episode of ‘The Daily Show’.
Trump threatens other shows
President Trump said US broadcast networks should face scrutiny over their licenses if they’re too critical of him. “When you have a network and you have evening shows, and all they do is hit Trump,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday. “I would think maybe their license should be taken away.”
“Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings more than anything else, and he said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk. So, you know, you can call that free speech or not. He was fired for lack of talent," he had said earlier.
