Overview

• Disney ended Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension and returned him to his ABC slot following public outcry and subscriber anger, according to opinion reporting.
• Sinclair and Nexstar, which had preempted Jimmy Kimmel Live with reruns and game shows, said they would bring the show back after local pressure and advertiser pullback.
• FCC Chair Brendan Carr warned that ABC and Disney could face consequences over Kimmel’s remarks, saying on a podcast, “we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
• Former FCC officials and constitutional scholars argue the threats violate First Amendment limits, citing precedents like Bantam Books and the Supreme Court’s unanimous NRA v. Vullo decision.
• Coverage reports bipartisan criticism of Carr’s actions and notes fledgling investigations being discussed into whether regulatory leverage was improperly used.