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Did Trump Fire Jimmy Kimmel With the FCC?

2025-09-19 News & Politics
81.9k
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Ben Shapiro
Ben Shapiro
7.0m subscribers

Jimmy Kimmel Suspended: Analyzing Market Blowback, Affiliate Revolt, and FCC Regulatory Overreach

Understand why Jimmy Kimmel’s show was abruptly pulled following comments about a victim’s murderer, linking drastic audience collapse to powerful local distributors demanding accountability.

Short Summary

  • Jimmy Kimmel faced suspension after local affiliates, led by groups like Sinclair, revolted over his political commentary concerning Charlie Kirk's murderer.
  • Kimmel’s program demonstrated abysmal advertising-age ratings, dropping 72% since 2015, showing massive market failure prior to the incident.
  • The debate shifted from organic market reaction to potential government involvement when the FCC Chairman suggested regulating broadcasters for content distortion.

This segment breaks down the financial metrics proving Kimmel was failing before the controversy broke. It then analyzes how network affiliates leveraged market power to force ABC’s hand, concluding with an examination of why unchecked FCC power threatens free speech norms.

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Top Comments (10)

@jessejflores1624 2025-09-21

Now Disney and Hulu are doing worse than Kimmel in only 2 days 😂

10
@devinmclaughlin5188 2025-09-19

caterpillars jumpin around. make me smile. xD

0
@williamkoch4420 2025-09-20

I don’t care that Kimmel got fired. I care that Trump’s FCC, the government, threatened to take ABC’s license away. They said it publicly. And leaked internal ABC discussions show that was a major reason they suspended kimmel’s show. And the fact that Brian Kilmeade on Fox incited violence against homeless people and the FCC said nothing gives the impression of partisanship, which isn’t a good look when the government, historically, tries to at least give off the impression of being impartial. You know, after elections, presidents usually say they will be the president for ALL Americans, but this administration doesn’t even feel like it’s trying to act like it cares about the other half of the country.

112 9 replies
@frga9672 2025-09-20

Let’s not let go of Epstein files.

374 30 replies
@TheJellyBean0 2025-09-20

Wait til it's a democrat using the powers with fcc (not just technicality that's not what got it cancelled) and reasoning. It's setting a bar for all presidents going forward. If you aren't worried about this you are blind

56 8 replies
@Cooksongrl 2025-09-20

Yeah the timing got muddled. I've worked at TV stations & let me tell you when the phones are ringing off the hook you can ignore quite a bit but then for sure it can reach a certain level the bosses have had enough. It absolutely went from the audience up the chain as it should.

0
@jbon9319 2025-09-20

If this isn't blatant government censorship, it's dangerously close and you should be speaking out against it, Ben. It doesn't matter how much of a scumbag Jimmy Kimmel is. Freedom of speech includes scummy speech.

295 49 replies
@Yoda-wf6bu 2025-09-20

Facts that doesn't care about your feelings: * Killing someone for their views, is an infringement on freedom of speech. * The government actively supporting and demanding the cancellation of Talk Shows, and other private corporations, is an infringement on freedom of speech. Stay consistent with your views people. One infringement does not justify the other. Never let freedom of speech be limited.

22 6 replies
@steves1112000 2025-09-19

Wow. Kimmel's ratings were lower than the "reality" show 'Cheaters',

4
@kenbobcorn 2025-09-24

Jimmy Kimmel was so popular, Disney+ cancelations went through the roof and crashed the Disney+ page. And when the dust settled, Disney has since reinstated Jimmy and his show because he's a gold mine to audiences. But give it to Ben to use his personal feelings about the media's reaction to Charlie vs Jimmy to shape is opinions about freedom of speech. Because as we all know with Ben, Facts Care About your Feelings.

7

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