Overview

• Disney-owned ABC removed the show indefinitely after Nexstar and Sinclair said they would preempt it following FCC Chair Brendan Carr’s warning to broadcasters.
• Carr said investigations and fines were possible and suggested license risks, while media lawyers note the FCC licenses local stations, not national networks.
• Late-night peers including Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers denounced the move, entertainment unions called it censorship, and Democrats including Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries urged Carr to resign.
• President Donald Trump praised the suspension, mocked Kimmel’s talent, and suggested broadcasters’ licenses could be taken away, crediting Carr with the call.
• Kimmel’s monologue accused “the MAGA gang” of politicizing Charlie Kirk’s murder before fuller court filings on the suspect’s politics were public; a 22-year-old has been charged and authorities say the motive remains unclear.