ABC Pulls "Jimmy Kimmel Live" After Contentious Remarks about Kirk
(MENAFN) The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) announced on Wednesday the indefinite suspension of its late-night show, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", following contentious remarks made by host Jimmy Kimmel about conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot last week.
In a decisive move, Nexstar Media Group, Inc. revealed that its ABC-affiliated owned and partner stations will preempt the program starting with Wednesday night’s broadcast, continuing until further notice. As the owner of the largest local television broadcasting group in the U.S., Nexstar operates over 200 stations reaching an audience of approximately 220 million people, according to its official website.
In its statement, Nexstar expressed firm disapproval: "Nexstar strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets."
Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, emphasized the impact of the remarks: "Mr. Kimmel's comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located."
Shortly after Nexstar's statement, media quoted an ABC spokesman confirming the network's action: "'Jimmy Kimmel Live' will be pre-empted indefinitely."
The controversy stems from Kimmel’s Monday night monologue, during which he suggested that Tyler Robinson, the suspect in Kirk's killing, might have been a pro-Trump Republican. Kimmel stated, "The MAGA Gang (is) desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it."
The incident has further polarized political responses. U.S. President Donald Trump and senior officials blame the "radical left" for Kirk’s death, dismissing Democratic claims that political violence stems from both sides of the aisle.
The suspension of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" marks a significant reaction to the increasingly fraught intersection of media, politics, and public discourse following a high-profile tragedy.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
