Jimmy Kimmel’s ABC ouster is not the end of free speech

The Hill ^ | September 19th 2025 | JEFFREY M. MCCALL

[Jacquerie]

The hysteria merchants are in high gear again as they respond to the news that Jimmy Kimmel’s ABC talk show has been “preempted indefinitely.”

Kimmel’s show wasn’t suspended because of Trump, Carr or the Big Bad Wolf. It was suspended because ABC and parent company Disney are in the business of generating audiences and advertising revenue.

The corporate bigshots have decided that Kimmel can no longer deliver viewers and generate commercial dollars to their satisfaction. The nonsensical comment Kimmel made about Kirk was likely one straw too many even for Disney’s broad corporate shoulders.

Big media corporation executives have to keep their ears to the ground to assess what broad audiences are willing to tolerate. Kimmel’s ratings were in steep decline already, and ABC would have surely looked past the blunder if there was any sense that he could still generate an audience.

Major television group owners Nexstar and Sinclair have a number of ABC affiliates; when they announced they would no longer carry Kimmel’s program, Disney decided it was more important to keep affiliate owners happy than a comedian on a downward spiral.

If ABC were so afraid of Trump and Carr, it would have long ago cancelled “The View,” another production of ABC News. The gabbers on that show over the years have said things just as, or perhaps even more, bizarre than Kimmel, yet ABC keeps airing that program, presumably because it can generate an audience and revenue. ABC has also kept George Stephanopoulos in his news anchor chair, even though Trump would love to see him booted, suing ABC and collecting a settlement because of George’s comments.

[Jacquerie]

Awful title.

Kimmel was fired because his show was losing money.

Ignore the 1st Amendment diversion.