Overview

• ABC said Jimmy Kimmel Live! is pre-empted indefinitely after major affiliates moved to pull the show following FCC Chair Brendan Carr’s public criticism and warnings to station owners.
• The ACLU released an open letter signed by more than 400 Hollywood figures condemning Disney’s decision as a threat to free speech and urging Americans to defend First Amendment rights.
• John Oliver devoted his Last Week Tonight main segment to the suspension, calling it government-driven censorship and urging viewers to pressure Disney by canceling Disney+ and Hulu.
• Backlash widened as Howard Stern canceled his Disney+ subscription on air and hosts of The View denounced the administration’s pressure, even as legal experts questioned the FCC’s authority over program content.
• Affiliate dynamics shifted when Sinclair scrapped a planned Charlie Kirk tribute from broadcast and said it would carry ABC’s late-night schedule, while separate reports described early Disney–Kimmel talks with no agreement in sight.