FFC chair Brendan Carr says Jimmy Kimmel was canceled due to poor ratings and not government pressure
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr, on September 22, said that government pressure did not play any role in the suspension of the late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.
Kimmel faced a lot of criticism for his remarks about Charlie Kirk following which ABC decided to suspend his show.
However, six days after his suspension, following talks between Kimmel and ABC, reports claim that the talk show host is set to return.
Brendan Carr's statement on Jimmy Kimmel's suspension
"Jimmy Kimmel is in the situation that he is in because of his ratings, not because of anything that's happened at the federal government level," Carr said at a forum in New York.
Carr sparked a row when he commented, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way," urging Disney and ABC affiliates to take action against Kimmel, which drew criticisms from lawmakers.
Carr, a Trump appointee, even threatened to cancel the broadcast license of these channels during a conservative podcast on September 17. He then accused Kimmel of "the sickest conduct possible" and demanded an apology.
Cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel's show
Carr’s latest statement followed Disney’s announcement on September 22 that the show will be returning after having a conversation with Kimmel.
The company last week announced the cancellation of the show "to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country," which ABC later suspended on September 17 following Carr’s threat.
Dozens of channels affiliated with ABC agreed not to broadcast the show, including Nextstar, which criticized Kimmel’s words as "offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse".
Anna Gomez rejects Brendan Carr's statement
Anna Gomez, the Democratic FCC commissioner, on September 22, rejected Carr’s statement, saying, "This wasn't simply a business decision".
"This regrettable chapter is a stain on the FCC. It was a concerning moment of direct government intervention into business decisions."
Carr then clarified that he meant networks and broadcasters can address issues about news distortion. "If they don't, there's a way that's not as easy - which is someone can file a complaint at the FCC, and then the FCC ... has to adjudicate that complaint," he said.
Jimmy Kimmel's statement that led to the suspension
Last week, on September 15, while speaking about Charlie Kirk’s suspected killer, Kimmel called the supporters of Donald Trump, “The MAGA gang”, which drew backlash from conservatives.
The next day, on September 16, Kimmel doubled down, claiming that the right wing is exploiting the death of the conservative activist and Turning Point USA (TPUSA)founder, who was shot dead while speaking at a public debate event at Utah Valley University on September 10.
