Disney felt that if he had doubled down, the company would have been forced make a more drastic decision on Jimmy Kimmel Live’s future instead of the announced preemption, sources said.
The company hopes that it will be able to have Kimmel back on the air “soon”, per sources, but whether Kimmel himself is willing is also unclear.
If you take a step back and review all the developments, you will come to the same conclusion I do: ABC executives are some of the stupidest people in the business. (Which is amazing considering we have a lot of contenders in that race.)
The move stemmed from Nexstar, which owns 22 ABC affiliates - 10% of the network’s national footprint - dumping the show due to the content.
Then the FCC chair threatened license removal. (Frankly that kind of language rarely translates to action in this admin.)
Kimmel was set to be on air to address and clarify that content.
Then ABC decided “No, we’re not giving you that chance nationally” and unceremoniously removed the show.
Talking about the Streisand effect. Had the show aired in the other 207 ABC stations, no one would care outside the US. Maybe MAGA would still blame him to the same degree just like they would.
Instead, it made global news. Guardian, Reuters, AP, Sky, 7, 9, 10… You name it. Everyone was - and is still - talking about it.
Out of 50 solutions that would have gone down well, the top selected the only other solution that didn’t. They deserve every subscriber loss they will get.
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https://tribune.com.pk/story/2567592/celebrity-family-feud-replaces-jimmy-kimmel-live-after-abc-pulls-show-over-charlie-kirk-comments Celebrity Family Feud was filling in for JKL’s timeslot.
And Sinclair did step in at the last minute trying to stop that deal… Feels like they’re trying to out-MAGA Nexstar in front of Brendan Carr, hoping the FCC’d struck it down and give them a second chance?
An interesting note from CNN: The show was pulled off the air for an understandable reason, but you have to dig deep to find it.
The monologue being planned yesterday was described as “very hot” and MAGA-targeting. So when there’s a threat to revoke license and a group already saying “We’ll not broadcast”, all the options were weighed and the risk was not worth it.
Sure, you could go on air yesterday, but the entire network could be unemployed next week. Would that be a good idea?
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Welcome to Trump’s America - you either support his cause or cop his wrath, and corporate America is trying to work out whether to bend the knee or knuckle under.
It’s far from an ideal situation, but with concerns over retaliatory action from the White House or interference in future business deals, it’s not hard to see why they’re making some of these decisions.
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Aren’t these guys going against at least one of the 10 Commandments?
- You shall have no other gods before Me.
- You shall not make idols. - applies to Charlie Kirk, MAGA
- You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
- Honor your father and your mother.
- You shall not murder.- applies to Jan 6 invaders
- You shall not commit adultery.- applies to Donald Trump
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
- You shall not covet. - applies to Nexstar and Sinclair
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Why would a new host even be required for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? ABC has only suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live!—they haven’t ended Kimmel’s deal. As long as he remains under contract with ABC, he would still be free to host other projects, including Millionaire. The only situation where a replacement host would make sense is if Disney actually terminated his contract during the hiatus.
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Just so we’re absolutely clear.
The show aired weekly on Wednesdays until September 3. After that, it took a previously scheduled three-week break ahead of its return on Thursday, September 25, for the season finale, which has already been taped.
ABC also said they don’t have a plan to remove WWTBAM from schedule.
So we’re done with it next week (still Kimmel hosting). Whatever happens after that is next season’s business.
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They can hope all they like but Kimmel isn’t going to change just to appease Trump.
I do wonder if there is a loophole that the show could end up on Disney+ and it isn’t bound by the licence that is being touted for the reason? Then that argument is lost.
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I wonder if they’d ever consider moving it from its US home.
Produce it internationally and then sell it to the US networks. Could see it staying afloat then?
But then you’d have no guests, and you can’t really fill a comedy show with just a 45 or so minute monologue.
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The Daily Show handled it perfectly. Two very different approaches and both hit the mark.
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Well done to The Daily Show. Very clever.
How safe is Jimmy Fallon with NBC?
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Even so, top brass have been engaged in talks to get the late-night host back on the air.
In a series of mixed face-to-face and virtual meetings, Disney top executives and Kimmel and his team have been at it most of today.
The aim of these digital sit-downs is to secure a pathway to end the indefinite benching of the Jimmy Kimmel Live! frontman. Any agreement would need to ease the company’s concerns about further MAGA backlash. “It’s an ongoing discussion, with a lot of distrust on one side,” an insider told Deadline. “There’s no light at the end of the tunnel — yet,” she added, with a weary tone.
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