Sept. 23, 2025 · Media
We Brought Kimmel Back in 6 Days. Now Let's Destroy Sinclair's Censorship Machine.
Jimmy Kimmel Live will return to ABC on September, 23rd. This marks a crucial victory against government censorship. That victory didn't come from PACs or elected representatives, it came as a result of enough people taking action to hit ABC right in the wallet.
ABC's announcement that the show will resume after six days of suspension proves that when Americans unite against authoritarian overreach, even the most powerful media corporations must yield. The suspension never should have happened. A comedian made a political joke, and the federal government threatened regulatory retaliation until ABC pulled him off the air.
Celebrate this win, but remember the fight continues. Sinclair Broadcasting has already announced it will maintain its blockade across 38 ABC affiliates, demonstrating that some corporations remain eager to silence free speech for political favor.
The suspension began September 17 after Kimmel commented on the September 10 killing of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. During his September 15 monologue, Kimmel stated: "We hit some new lows over the weekend with 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."
Whether the shooter had left-wing or right-wing views is entirely irrelevant. What matters is that FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a government official, threatened ABC's broadcast licenses over a comedy monologue. Carr called Kimmel's remarks "the sickest conduct possible" and warned of regulatory consequences unless ABC took action. This is precisely the government coercion the First Amendment prohibits.
Within hours of Carr's threats, Sinclair and Nexstar Media Group announced they would stop airing the show. By September 17, ABC suspended production indefinitely. A late-night comedian was silenced not for inciting violence or breaking any law, but for making political commentary that displeased the administration.
The public response was immediate and overwhelming. Over 400 celebrities including Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, and Robert De Niro signed an ACLU letter correctly identifying the suspension as government censorship. Viewers called for boycotts and canceled Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN subscriptions. Even Republican Senator Rand Paul called the FCC's involvement "inappropriate," recognizing the dangerous precedent of government officials dictating what comedians can say.
The pressure worked. Within six days, ABC reversed course and announced Kimmel would return. While the network claimed it made the decision after "thoughtful conversations with Jimmy," the reality is clear: money talks. The threat of canceled subscriptions and public pressure hit Disney where it hurts most. Americans across the political spectrum voted with their wallets, proving that financial consequences are the only language these corporations understand when government censorship threatens our freedom of speech.
This victory proves that coordinated financial pressure can defeat censorship. But the battle isn't over. Sinclair Broadcasting continues to refuse to air Jimmy Kimmel Live in major markets including Washington D.C., Seattle, St. Louis, Nashville, and Salt Lake City. The company operates 185 television stations reaching approximately 40% of U.S. households.
Sinclair's motivations are transparent. The broadcaster needs FCC approval for expanded use of ATSC 3.0 spectrum and wants elimination of national ownership caps. By maintaining their blockade of Kimmel, they curry favor with the Trump administration while regulatory decisions worth billions hang in the balance. This is corporate complicity in government censorship.
Sinclair Vice Chairman Jason Smith demands an apology to Kirk's family and other conditions before allowing the show back. But this isn't about sensitivity or appropriateness. It's about a corporation helping the government punish political speech it doesn't like.
The company's financial vulnerabilities make them susceptible to the same pressure that defeated ABC's censorship. Sinclair carries $4.252 billion in debt, and despite $405 million in political advertising revenue in 2024, their stock has declined between 35-64% in five years.
House Democrats Robert Garcia and Maxwell Frost have opened an inquiry into Sinclair's coordination with the FCC. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called for boycotts of stations refusing to air Kimmel.
Viewers in Sinclair markets have started streaming Jimmy Kimmel Live directly through ABC.com and Hulu, proving these local censors can be made obsolete. Social media campaigns can identify and pressure Sinclair's advertisers. The same tactics that broke ABC's censorship can break Sinclair's.
The strategy is accessible for anyone. It starts with documenting which companies advertise on Sinclair stations. Contact them directly, especially local businesses dependent on community goodwill. Share alternative viewing methods. Support congressional investigations into Sinclair's corrupt relationship with the FCC.
As of today, 38 American cities still cannot watch Jimmy Kimmel Live on their local ABC stations because one corporation decided to assist in government censorship. The First Amendment doesn't just protect speech the government likes; it especially protects speech the government hates. That's the entire point.
We proved that public pressure can defeat government censorship when we brought Kimmel back to ABC in just six days. Now that same pressure must focus on Sinclair. They chose to be accomplices in authoritarian censorship. They bet that Americans will accept partial victory and move on.
They're wrong. Every advertiser dollar pulled from Sinclair is a vote for free speech. Every stream on ABC.com is a rejection of corporate censorship. Every call to Congress is a demand for accountability.
The government tried to silence a comedian for making jokes they didn't like. We stopped them once. Now let's finish the job and ensure that no corporation can help the government censor what Americans watch, what we laugh at, or what we're allowed to say. Sinclair's blockade must fall, not just for Jimmy Kimmel, but for the principle that in America, free speech is non-negotiable.
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Conservatism: America’s Personality Disorder
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References
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Axios. (2025, September 18). *Jimmy Kimmel suspension spurs House Democratic leaders to demand FCC chair resign*. https://www.axios.com/2025/09/18/jimmy-kimmel-suspension-jeffries-brendan-carr-fcc
Axios. (2025, September 19). *Why Congress' Democrats are going all out to fight and investigate Jimmy Kimmel's suspension*. https://www.axios.com/2025/09/19/jimmy-kimmel-fcc-democrats-congress-investigation
Chicago Tribune. (2025, September 18). *JB Pritzker urges boycott, protest against outlets carrying Jimmy Kimmel including WGN, WLS*. https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/18/jb-pritzker-urges-boycott-protest-against-outlets-jimmy-kimmel-wgn-wls/
CNBC. (2025, September 18). *FCC Chair Carr says 'we're not done yet' after Jimmy Kimmel suspension by ABC*. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/18/jimmy-kimmel-charlie-kirk-fcc-carr.html
CNN. (2025, September 18). *How Brendan Carr, the attack-dog FCC chair, helped take down Jimmy Kimmel with words, not actions*. https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/18/media/brendan-carr-jimmy-kimmel-fcc-first-amendment
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Deadline. (2025, September 22). *Sinclair will preempt Jimmy Kimmel's show when it returns to ABC but says discussions are ongoing with network*. https://deadline.com/2025/09/jimmy-kimmel-sinclair-trump-preemption-1236552987/
Fortune. (2025, September 21). *Republican Senator Rand Paul says FCC chair's Jimmy Kimmel comments were 'absolutely inappropriate'*. https://fortune.com/2025/09/21/republican-senator-rand-paul-fcc-chair-jimmy-kimmel-charlie-kirk/
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The Hollywood Reporter. (2025, September 18). *Trump's attack on ABC is illegal. It might not matter*. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/jimmy-kimmels-suspension-trump-era-first-amendment-threat-1236375335/
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NBC News. (2025, September 22). *Sen. Rand Paul says FCC chair's comments threatening ABC over Jimmy Kimmel were 'absolutely inappropriate'*. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/rand-paul-fcc-chair-comments-absolutely-inappropriate-jimmy-kimmel-rcna232703
NPR. (2025, September 18). *Democrats and Hollywood stars decry Kimmel's suspension as government censorship*. https://www.npr.org/2025/09/18/nx-s1-5545509/jimmy-kimmel-suspended-free-speech-trump
NPR. (2025, September 18). *Legal experts say pulling Jimmy Kimmel from air may amount to illegal 'jawboning'*. https://www.npr.org/2025/09/18/nx-s1-5545720/kimmel-abc-carr-fcc-jawboning
PBS NewsHour. (2025, September 19). *After Jimmy Kimmel's show was suspended, a key question is: Does the FCC have the power to regulate speech?* https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/after-jimmy-kimmels-show-was-suspended-a-key-question-is-does-the-fcc-have-the-power-to-regulate-speech
PBS NewsHour. (2025, September 19). *Kimmel suspension and self-censorship set dangerous precedent, FCC commissioner says*. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/kimmel-suspension-and-self-censorship-set-dangerous-precedent-fcc-commissioner-says
Reason. (2025, September 18). *Jimmy Kimmel, the NRA, and the First Amendment*. https://reason.com/volokh/2025/09/18/jimmy-kimmel-the-nra-and-the-first-amendment/
Reason. (2025, September 18). *Would Jimmy Kimmel have standing to bring a jawboning claim under Murthy?* https://reason.com/volokh/2025/09/18/would-jimmy-kimmel-have-standing-to-bring-a-jawboning-claim-under-murthy/
Reason. (2025, September 19). *The FCC chair's unprecedented, and constitutionally problematic, response to Jimmy Kimmel*. https://reason.com/volokh/2025/09/19/the-fcc-chairs-unprecedented-and-constitutionally-problematic-response-to-jimmy-kimmel/
Sinclair, Inc. (2025). *Sinclair reports fourth quarter 2024 financial results*. https://sbgi.net/sinclair-reports-fourth-quarter-2024-financial-results/
Sinclair, Inc. (2025, September 18). *Sinclair says Kimmel suspension is not enough, calls on FCC and ABC to take additional action* [Press release]. https://sbgi.net/sinclair-says-kimmel-suspension-is-not-enough-calls-on-fcc-and-abc-to-take-additional-action/
Variety. (2025, September 18). *Nexstar denies Jimmy Kimmel suspension was due to FCC pressure*. https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/nexstar-jimmy-kimmel-suspension-fcc-pressure-1236523812/
The Wrap. (2025, September 22). *Sinclair will not air 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' upon ABC return Tuesday*. https://www.thewrap.com/sinclair-replace-jimmy-kimmel-live-news-programming-discussions-abc-continue/
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