Ex-ABC reporter Terry Moran delivers scathing take on free speech after Jimmy Kimmel suspension

WASHINGTON, DC: Terry Moran, 65, a former ABC journalist, shared his thoughts on the controversy over host Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show being pulled “indefinitely.”

Moran, who left ABC News in June, said the suspension shows how corporations prioritize creating profit over free speech.

Sharing his own opinion and perspective, Moran said the suspension reflects a thought-provoking trend. “What we have learned is that corporations will knuckle under every time. The dollar is more important than free speech,” he told Erin Burnett, according to The Mirror US.

Terry Moran backs FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez’s defense of Jimmy Kimmel 

Speaking on CNN’s OutFront with Erin Burnett on Thursday, September 18, Moran reacted to Kimmel’s late-night show being canceled after the comedian commented on conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk’s murder.

He highlighted the views of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Anna Gomez, who had appeared earlier on the same program.

Gomez openly slammed ABC’s decision, pointing out that the First Amendment protects broadcasters from government interference.

She stressed that the amendment does not give the government power to dictate what broadcasters air, especially since Kimmel’s comments were not illegal.

According to The Mirror US, Gomez said, “grounds for companies to capitulate to the (Donald Trump) administration in ways that violate the First Amendment.”

Moran agreed and said, “Well, if it ever gets to court, Anna Gomez, who was a great interview, is absolutely right. We don’t have a country where the government, simply because they issue broadcast licenses, can tell comedians what jokes they can or can’t tell, or news organizations what stories they should or shouldn’t publish.”

Without hesitation, Moran reminded viewers that broadcast law is nearly a century old and firmly protected by the First Amendment.

“This does not come with the authority of broadcast licenses, and that law is almost 100 years old. The Supreme Court has interpreted it under the First Amendment for 80 years," he continued. 

"So she’s right. What we’ve learned is that corporations will knuckle under every time. The dollar is more important than free speech,” he added.

Disney pulls Jimmy Kimmel’s show after political backlash

The controversy began on Wednesday, September 17, when Disney announced it was suspending Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show.

The sudden move came after Kimmel commented on the suspected killer of conservative figure Charlie Kirk. His comment sparked political backlash.

Hours later, Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr, appointed under former President Donald Trump, publicly urged Disney to yank the show.

The decision came shortly after Nexstar and Sinclair Broadcasting affiliates dropped the program.

Carr later told Benny Johnson’s podcast, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct and take actions on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

Why was Terry Moran fired?

Terry Moran himself faced a similar fate earlier this year.

He was suspended and then fired by ABC after posting a lengthy message on X (formerly Twitter). He shared his opinion about Trump and his political adviser, Stephen Miller, on June 8.

“Miller is a man who is richly endowed with the capacity for hatred. He’s a world-class hater. You can see this just by looking at him, because you can see that his hatreds are his spiritual nourishment. He eats his hate,” Moran wrote.

“Trump is a world-class hater. But his hatred is only a means to an end, and that end is his own glorification. That’s his spiritual nourishment,” he added.

The post has since been deleted, according to The Mirror US. On June 10, ABC News announced it would not renew his contract.