In a clear stand for public interest and responsible broadcasting, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr joined Sean Hannity on Fox News Wednesday to explain why ABC affiliates pulled Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show following his controversial monologue mocking Charlie Kirk and his tragic assassination.
Carr defended the actions of local affiliates like Nexstar and Sinclair, which decided to suspend the airing of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" after the comedian made divisive comments about the killing of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk. He pointed out that broadcast networks like ABC operate with a special obligation to serve the public interest, unlike cable channels such as CNN, which aren’t held to the same standards. "Broadcasters are different than any other form of communication," Carr emphasized, as he justified the local stations’ decision to act in line with the interests of their communities.
The FCC Chair didn’t shy away from critiquing how, over the years, the agency had allowed broadcasters to stray from their public interest responsibilities. "I don’t think we’re better off as a country for it," Carr noted, clearly advocating for a return to a system where media outlets prioritize the values of their audience over political grandstanding.
Hannity pressed Carr about whether broadcasters had been abusing their licenses by pushing partisan agendas, to which Carr responded with a sharp critique of late-night TV’s political transformation. "They went from being court jesters that would make fun of everybody in power to being court clerics and enforcing a very narrow political ideology," he said, calling out the shift from humor to partisan activism.
Carr also described years of what he called a "narrow, partisan circus" in programming, reiterating that the FCC is now working to reinvigorate the enforcement of public interest obligations. His praise of Nexstar and Sinclair’s actions was high, calling their decision "unprecedented" and pointing out how rare it is for local broadcasters to stand up to a national network like Disney and say their content no longer meets the needs or values of the community.
The controversy started when Kimmel made comments about conservatives allegedly trying to deflect responsibility for the actions of Tyler Robinson, the suspect in Charlie Kirk’s death. The outcry from conservative audiences was swift, leading Nexstar to announce that it would preempt Kimmel’s show "for the foreseeable future." Shortly afterward, Disney confirmed that ABC had indefinitely suspended the program.
Of course, the ACLU quickly jumped into the fray, accusing the Trump administration of using federal power to silence critics, calling the action "beyond McCarthyism." But Carr didn’t back down, explaining that the decision was in response to market realities. "You can’t avoid ratings," he said, adding that in the end, "the market is going to be undefeated." When shows prioritize politics over entertainment, they alienate their audiences, and that’s exactly what happened here.
This move serves as yet another reminder that when the people speak, their voices matter. It's time for the media to recognize that their role is to entertain and inform, not to push an agenda. With strong leadership like Carr’s, the public interest is sure to take center stage again. Let’s keep pushing for accountability, because the market, as Carr wisely noted, always has the last word.
