ABC has stated that it will suspend “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” indefinitely. The cancellation came in response to incendiary statements made in a recent episode by host Jimmy Kimmel on the assassination of right-wing provocateur Charlie Kirk. The popular late-night, Monday-through-Friday tv show was indefinitely closed down as of Wednesday night. In particular, this cancellation will last for the foreseeable future.
In a segment on Monday night’s episode, Kimmel makes some pretty unfair judgment statements on Tyler Robinson, who has now been accused of killing Kirk. Yet at one point during his monologue, Kimmel launched into an accusation that Robinson was somehow becoming a part of the MAGA movement behind former President Donald Trump. The comments drew urgent outrage due to the nature of the still fresh incident.
Kirk, a prominent conservative voice, was slain under tragic circumstances, and Kimmel’s remarks were perceived as politically charged and insensitive. Following this controversy, ABC decided to cancel the show as a way to resolve the conflict.
Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, expressed the network’s concerns in a statement. He pointed out that Kimmel’s statements were contrary to the interests of the communities in which Nexstar’s 200+ stations operate.
“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,” – Andrew Alford
Alford further stated that resuming the broadcast of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” would not be in the public interest at this time.
“Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve is simply not in the public interest at the current time, and we have made the difficult decision to preempt his show in an effort to let cooler heads prevail as we move toward the resumption of respectful, constructive dialogue,” – Andrew Alford
On his show, Kimmel emphasized the political ramifications of the tragedy. He pointed out the disingenuousness of certain ideological factions attempting to distance Robinson from their movement while simultaneously using the incident to advance their own political agendas.
“The MAGA Gang 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,” – Jimmy Kimmel
Each time the public discourse around politics spikes in the wake of Kirk’s death. ABC’s decision firmly cements their commitment to thoughtful and responsible broadcasting in these volatile times. The network’s temporary suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is a good first step toward ensuring a more civil discourse as we enter this important election year.