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ABC pulls Jimmy Kimmel Live amid regulatory threats

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Unions claim suspension attacks free speech rights

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Trump administration pressures broadcasters over Kimmel's

comments

By Dawn Chmielewski

LOS ANGELES, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Hollywood blasted the

White House for targeting free speech after ABC pulled Jimmy

Kimmel's talk on Wednesday under regulatory threats from Donald

Trump's administration, rallying behind the late-night comic

after his comments about the assassination of conservative

activist Charlie Kirk.

The Walt Disney ( DIS )-owned broadcaster said it was

yanking "Jimmy Kimmel Live" indefinitely after at least one

affiliate said it would replace the show on its airwaves and the

nation's top communications regulator threatened investigations

due to Kimmel's statements.

The late-night host, a frequent Trump critic, had suggested

in his monologue on Monday that Kirk's allies were using his

death to "score political points".

Unions representing writers and actors said the move

amounted to an attack on constitutionally protected free-speech

rights, saying ABC should not have caved in the face of U.S.

government pressure.

The suspension of Kimmel's show marked the latest action

against media figures, academic workers, teachers and corporate

employees over their remarks about Kirk following the

31-year-old's assassination a week ago in Utah.

"What we have signed on to - painful as it may be at times -

is the freeing agreement to disagree," the Writers Guild of

America West and Writers Guild of America East said in a joint

statement. "Shame on those in government who forget this

founding truth. As for our employers, our words have made you

rich. Silencing us impoverishes the whole world."

A 22-year-old suspect has been charged with Kirk's murder,

and his precise motive remains unclear. Kirk's death spurred an

outpouring of grief among fans while also galvanizing some

prominent right-wing supporters to target people who were

critical of Kirk's views or joked about his killing.

SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors, condemned the

scrapping of the show, saying "the decision to suspend airing

Jimmy Kimmel Live! is the type of suppression and retaliation

that endangers everyone's freedoms," while actor Ben Stiller

wrote "this isn't right" on social media site X.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to pull

licenses from television stations and has pressured broadcasters

to stop airing content he finds objectionable. He has also

trained his ire on print media with the filing of a $15 billion

defamation lawsuit against the New York Times.

Earlier on Wednesday, Federal Communications Commission

Chair Brendan Carr had urged local broadcasters to stop airing

the show. Kimmel, who has frequently targeted Trump on his

late-night comedy show, did not respond to a request for

comment.

ABC pulled the show after Nexstar Media Group ( NXST ),

which owns 32 ABC affiliates, said it would stop airing the show

following Kimmel's September 10 comments, when he suggested that

"the MAGA gang" was "doing everything they can to score

political points" off of Kirk's assassination. He also

criticized Trump's mourning, comparing it to "how a

four-year-old mourns a goldfish."

Carr, in Wednesday remarks to conservative podcaster Benny

Johnson, said "we can do this the easy way or the hard way,"

suggesting the regulator could open investigations and

broadcasters could face fines. He praised Nexstar, saying that

"it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney ( DIS )

programming that they determine falls short of community

values."

The American Federation of Musicians said that "Trump's FCC

identified speech it did not like and threatened ABC with

extreme reprisals. This is state censorship."

(Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski; additional reporting by Dave

Shepardson and Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington and Lisa Richwine

in Los Angeles; writing by David Gaffen; Editing by Lincoln

Feast.)