Jimmy Kimmel’s show yanked over Charlie Kirk comments

The American Broadcasting Corporation on Wednesday evening suspended late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s show indefinitely after his monologue on the show referenced the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The move came after several network affiliates dropped Jimmy Kimmel Live! and the Federal Communications Commission chairman threatened ABC with the potential loss of its license.

On Monday’s show, Kimmel characterized Kirk’s shooter as a member of the “MAGA gang” and said conservatives were doing their utmost to score political points from the tragedy.

Nexstar Media Group, which owns or partners with about 200 stations, on Wednesday said it would replace Kimmel’s show with other programming due to his offensive comments. The Sinclair broadcasting conglomerate also said it would stop airing the show until further notice and would air a tribute to Kirk in its place.

Meanwhile, Brendan Carr, chairman of the FCC, on Wednesday told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson that ABC’s broadcasting license could be suspended for allowing Kimmel to spread misleading information. FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez took a different view, writing that the commission didn’t have the authority, right, or ability to police content and punish broadcasters for speech it dislikes.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, an organization that advocates for free speech, on Thursday said the First Amendment protects a person’s right to speculate about current events on air. The FCC should not target speech that the government dislikes, it said in a statement.

Who else has been fired or suspended for their comments on Kirk’s murder?

• The Washington Post and MSNBC fired employees who said that Kirk espoused hatred and violence.

• Office Depot fired an employee who refused to print a Kirk-related poster.

• At least a dozen teachers faced disciplinary action for their comments on social media, according to NBC.

• D.C. Comics canceled a comic book series after its writer called Kirk a Nazi on social media and joked about hoping the bullet was okay after touching him, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that he was working to revoke visas for non-citizens who celebrated Kirk’s death.

• An Illinois TV anchor resigned after being suspended for airing a tribute to Kirk, her former mentor, she said.

Dig deeper: Read my report on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s response to conspiracy theories about Kirk’s death.