What Everyone's Missing On The Jimmy Kimmel Firing

[Voluntarist]

Distilled:

The real issue isn’t Kimmel - it’s the machinery behind the suspension. Dr. Paul argues that both the Left and Right are missing the deeper problem: the increasing fusion of government influence and corporate media power. He sees Kimmel’s suspension not as a victory for decency or a loss for free speech, but as a symptom of a system where speech is policed by political pressure and media conglomerates acting in concert.
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Dr. Paul sees FCC involvement as a red flag. He is especially concerned about FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s public condemnation of Kimmel. Even without direct censorship, he sees this as a form of state intimidation - nudging broadcasters toward compliance through regulatory threat.

Examples of this are Sinclair Broadcast Group (with 38 ABC stations - and 185 stations in total) and Nexstar Media Group (with 28 ABC affiliates - and over 200 affiliates/partners in total); neither will be broadcasting Kimmel's shows even though ABC is putting him back on the air. It certainly looks like both are succumbing to pressures from the government since both either have or expect to have regulatory business before the FCC.

Nexstar is in the process of acquiring Tegna in a $6.2 billion cash transaction (includes Tegna’s net debt and fees). The deal would make Nexstar the largest owner of local TV stations in the U.S., with 265 stations across 44 states, reaching 80% of U.S. households. FCC and antitrust paperwork is expected to be filed by 30SEP2025, with the deal projected to close in late 2026, pending regulatory approval. Nexstar has also been lobbying for the FCC to lift the 39% cap on national broadcast ownership, a rule Chairman Brendan Carr has called “arcane”.

Sinclair is conducting a strategic review of its broadcast assets, which could result in mergers, acquisitions, or spinoffs. The company is exploring separation of its ventures unit (e.g., Tennis Channel, Compulse) and has held deep discussions with potential merger partners, though no deal is finalized. Sinclair owns 185 stations in 85 markets, and its moves are seen as part of a broader push to lead industry consolidation, especially if FCC ownership rules are relaxed.

 

[GlennwaldSnowdenAssanged]

With the way our judicial system presently seems to work, some judge will probably rule that all ABC stations have to air Kimmel.

 

[Voluntarist]

With the way our judicial system presently seems to work, some judge will probably rule that all ABC stations have to air Kimmel.

There could be some basis for a legal case, but I'm not sure how the contracts between ABC and it's affiliates are constructed. If the affiliate is required to run the show, then the affiliate could still be responsible for paying ABC some percentage of the ad revenue that would have been generated from running the show.

 

[GlennwaldSnowdenAssanged]

There could be some basis for a legal case, but I'm not sure how the contracts between ABC and it's affiliates are constructed. If the affiliate is required to run the show, then the affiliate could still be responsible for paying ABC some percentage of the ad revenue that would have been generated from running the show.

My point is all it takes is for powerful judge to rule you can't do that. It happens all the time now. Whether there is legal precedent or not. Unless judges are held accountable for these rulings, they have no reason not to make them. Good business for the courts and lawyers.