ABC network has suspended late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s show indefinitely after conservative outcry over his recent monologue. The suspension comes as Disney, Kimmel’s parent company, faces pressure from the Trump administration to approve a $6 billion merger with Nexstar and Tegna.
Conservatives expressed outrage when Kimmel made comments about Charlie Kirk’s death in one of his monologues. This led ABC affiliate stations, including 32 owned by Nexstar and 31 by Sinclair, to pre-empt the show.
Disney executives received worried messages from advertisers before making the decision, citing concerns over further inflaming the situation with another opening monologue. The suspension is a result of how members of the Trump administration have been able to influence media companies, forcing them to take action without new policies being implemented.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/09/19/business/media/abc-nexstar-kimmel.html