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** OPINION
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** Free speech worries mount as ABC pulls Jimmy Kimmel’s show
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ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, shown here in September of 2024. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

In a stunning and disturbing development on Wednesday evening, Disney and ABC announced that Jimmy Kimmel’s popular late-night talk show was being pulled off the air because of something Kimmel said on his show about the shooting death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.

The news came after station owner Nexstar Media Group said it would pull “Jimmy Kimmel Live” from its ABC affiliate stations because of Kimmel’s comments. Nexstar, which owns about 200 TV stations, has ABC affiliates in 32 markets across the U.S. Shortly after, ABC announced it would pull the show “indefinitely.”

So what did Kimmel say, exactly?

During his monologue on Monday’s program, Kimmel said, “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.”

Kimmel then showed a clip of President Donald Trump being asked by reporters how he was holding up after Kirk’s death, and Trump saying, “I think very good” before quickly pivoting to the new construction going on at the White House.

The point of Kimmel’s comment didn’t seem to be that he was blaming the MAGA community for Kirk’s shooting, but that the MAGA community was blaming the left and trying to score political points from it.

Regardless of the intent, to have a show taken off the air for such a remark seems like a blatant disregard for freedom of speech.

Still, Nexstar seized on Kimmel’s remarks as an opportunity to force Kimmel’s show off the air.

In a statement, it said, “Nexstar strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.”

Andrew Alford, the president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, said in the statement, “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. 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.”

On Wednesday, well before the official announcement that Kimmel’s show was being yanked for the time being, Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr threatened to take action against Disney, ABC and Kimmel.

Speaking on a podcast hosted by right-wing political commentator Benny Johnson, Carr said, “In some quarters, there's a very concerted effort to try to lie to the American people about the nature … of one of the most significant newsworthy public interest acts that we've seen in a long time in what appears to be an action by Jimmy Kimmel to play into that narrative that this was somehow a MAGA or a Republican-motivated person.”

Carr continued, “And I've been very clear from the moment that I have become chairman of the FCC, I want to reinvigorate the public interest. And what people don't understand is that the broadcasters, and you've gotten this right, are entirely different than people that use other forms of communication. They have a license granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest. Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or, you know, there's going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

It’s hard not to draw a line from Carr’s comments to Kimmel’s cancellation.

CNN media reporter Brian Stelter said he asked Carr if he had any new comments now that ABC pulled Kimmel’s show, and that Carr sent him back a GIF from the TV show, “The Office,” with characters played by Steve Carell and Rainn Wilson lifting their arms in celebration. (Here’s Stelter’s tweet ([link removed]) , including the GIF.)

In a Truth Social post ([link removed]) , Trump wrote, “Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible.”

Trump then challenged NBC to get rid of late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.

Anna Gomez, the lone Democrat on the FCC, put out a statement criticizing the administration, saying, “An inexcusable act of political violence by one disturbed individual must never be exploited as justification for broader censorship or control. This Administration is increasingly using the weight of government power to suppress lawful expression, not because it glorifies violence or breaks the law, but because it challenges those in power or reflects views they oppose.”

MSNBC’s Chris Hayes tweeted ([link removed]) , “This is the most straightforward attack on free speech from state actors I've ever seen in my life and it's not even close.”

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted ([link removed]) , “Buying and controlling media platforms. Firing commentators. Canceling shows. These aren’t coincidences. It’s coordinated. And it’s dangerous.The @GOP does not believe in free speech. They are censoring you in real time.”

The Kimmel news comes during a week when free speech has become a major topic in the U.S. Earlier this week, Attorney General Pam Bondi had to walk back her remarks after she said, “We will absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech.”

Following heavy criticism from all sides of the political spectrum that her comments were in opposition to the First Amendment, Bondi said, “Freedom of speech is sacred in our country, and we will never impede upon that right. My intention was to speak about threats of violence that individuals incite against others.”

And while Kimmel is not being held legally responsible for what he said, he certainly is being punished — in this case, to borrow a word that many (especially on the right) like to use, “canceled” — for comments on a TV show.

How rare is it for affiliates to pull a program over politics?

The Los Angeles Times’ Stephen Battaglio wrote ([link removed]) , “It’s extremely rare for networks to drop a show in response to political pressure. Bill Maher’s ‘Politically Incorrect’ was canceled by ABC in 2002 after advertisers pulled out following a comment by the host about the Sept. 11 hijackers, saying they were ‘not cowardly.’ In 1970, CBS blacked out the image of activist Abbie Hoffman when he appeared on ‘The Merv Griffin Show’ wearing a shirt made out of an American flag.”

The news also comes at a precarious time for late-night talk shows. CBS announced earlier this summer that Stephen Colbert’s late-night show would be canceled next May. CBS claims it was a financial decision, but many wondered if Colbert’s consistent criticism of Trump, as well as his criticism of Paramount (CBS’s owners) settling a lawsuit with Trump, played a role in CBS’s decision.

But there also could be more at play here.

The Washington Post’s Jeremy Barr and Scott Nover pointed out ([link removed]) , “The FCC is set to review Nexstar’s proposed $6.2 billion acquisition of another local television behemoth, Tegna. That deal, which is expected to close by the second half of 2026, would also require the FCC to relax the national ownership cap that limits how many stations one company can own in the United States. Carr has suggested in the past that he is willing to raise or eliminate the long-standing cap.”

Pushing Kimmel’s show off the air by Nexstar might help Carr look even more favorably on Nexstar’s deal, which is another troubling piece in this story.

Rolling Stone’s Charisma Madarang, Asawin Suebsaeng and Andrew Perez wrote ([link removed]) , “The decisions by Nexstar and ABC to silence Kimmel, over relatively innocuous comments, is the latest sign of how terrified major corporations and media companies have grown of the second Trump administration. The president and his lieutenants have made clear that they’re willing to leverage the full weight of the federal government against networks and their parent companies, especially if TV personalities or comedians on the network say things that annoy Trump.”

They added, “In the hours leading up to the decision to pull Kimmel, two sources familiar with the matter say, senior executives at ABC, its owner Disney, and affiliates convened emergency meetings to figure out how to minimize the damage. Multiple execs felt that Kimmel had not actually said anything over the line, the two sources say, but the threat of Trump administration retaliation loomed.”

Barr and Nover wrote in their Post story, “The decision by ABC is likely to be seen as a concession to the network’s critics. In December, the company agreed to put $15 million toward Trump’s presidential library to settle a defamation lawsuit. After the announcement that Colbert’s show would be canceled, Trump speculated on his Truth Social platform that Kimmel was ‘NEXT to go in the untalented Late Night Sweepstakes.’”

Kimmel has been a constant critic of Trump, who even once wrote a Truth Social post slamming Kimmel while Kimmel was hosting the 2024 Academy Awards. Kimmel read Trump’s post live on the air, to the delight of those in the audience.

There have been reports that ABC is not canceling Kimmel’s show permanently. But it would seem as if the only way Kimmel returns is if he offers an apology, and, honestly, it would be surprising if Kimmel apologized.

Note that his contract is up at the end of the 2025-26 season, and he had previously hinted that this might be his last contract anyway. One could easily see him walking away, even though he reportedly is paid about $16 million a year to host “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

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** Meanwhile …
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Sinclair, the largest network of ABC affiliate stations, is also jumping on Kimmel. In a statement ([link removed]) , they said they want Kimmel to directly apologize to the Kirk family and make a “meaningful personal donation” to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA, the conservative nonprofit that Kirk founded.

Sinclair vice chairman Jason Smith said in a statement that Kimmel’s remarks were “inappropriate and insensitive.”

Sinclair also said it will air a special tribute to Kirk during Kimmel’s timeslot on Friday.


** South Park delays episode
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Comedy Central’s “South Park” hit a snag in production and didn’t release a new show this week. A new episode was supposed to air Wednesday night.

Instead, earlier in the day, “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone put out a statement that said, “Apparently when you do everything at the last minute sometimes you don’t get it done. This one’s on us. We didn’t get it done in time. Thanks to Comedy Central and ‘South Park’ fans for being so understanding. Tune in next week!”

Wednesday night’s episode was much-anticipated as it would have been the first one since the shooting death of Kirk. Throughout this new season, the show has been mocking Trump and many of his MAGA supporters. One episode in particular had one of its characters become a right-wing podcaster who toured college campuses. It was an obvious satirized version of Kirk.

The Hollywood Reporter’s James Hibbard wrote ([link removed]) , “The mockery was pretty tame by ‘South Park’ standards (certainly kinder than its treatment of Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem in the same episode). After the episode aired, Kirk seemed thrilled and posted a TikTok calling the episode ‘hilarious’ and noted ‘South Park gets this right.’ The Turning Point USA founder added, ‘We have a good spirit about being made fun of. This is all a win. We as conservatives have thick skin, not thin skin, and you can make fun of us and it doesn’t matter.’”

Nevertheless, after Kirk’s death, Comedy Central pulled that particular episode from its linear rotation of reruns. The episode can still be seen on Paramount Plus. The next new “South Park” episode is scheduled for Sept. 24.


** Former President Barack Obama on Kirk’s death
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Former President Barack Obama, shown here in December 2024. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Speaking at an event in Pennsylvania earlier this week, former President Barack Obama weighed in on the topic that is dominating the news, as well as conversations between everyday Americans on social media, in their churches and at their dinner tables: the shooting death of Kirk.

Speaking at the Jefferson Educational Society, a nonprofit in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, Obama denounced the attacks of Kirk and the Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman.

Obama said, “There are no ifs, ands or buts about it: the central premise of our democratic system is that we have to be able to disagree and have sometimes really contentious debates without resorting to violence.”

Obama then expressed his concern about the Kirk shooting leading to more violence. While Obama never mentioned President Donald Trump by name, he was clearly talking about him when he said, “There’s been some confusion, I think, around this lately, and, frankly, coming from the White House and some of the other positions of authority that suggest, even before we had determined who the perpetrator of this evil act was, that somehow we’re going to identify an enemy.”

Since Kirk’s death, Trump has repeatedly pointed his finger at the “radical left.” Trump’s adviser, Stephen Miller, said earlier this week, “It is a vast domestic terror movement.”

In response to Obama’s comments, the White House blamed Obama for the divisiveness in the U.S. and called him “the architect of modern political division in America.”

As far as Kirk, Obama said, “Look, obviously, I didn’t know Charlie Kirk. I was generally aware of some of his ideas. I think those ideas were wrong; but that doesn’t negate the fact that what happened was a tragedy and that I mourn for him and his family. He’s a young man with two small children and a wife who — and a huge number of friends and supporters who cared about him — and so we have to extend grace to people during their period of mourning and shock.”

Obama went on to say he disagrees with certain things Kirk said about the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Black women and Martin Luther King Jr. Obama then added, “I can disagree with some of the broader suggestions that liberals and Democrats are promoting a conspiracy to displace whites and replace them by ushering in illegal immigrants.”

Obama said one can denounce political violence and mourn the victims of it, but that doesn’t mean there cannot be a continuing debate about political ideas.

He said, “Those are all topics that we have to be able to discuss honestly and forthrightly, while we still insist that in that process of debate, we respect other people’s right to say things that we profoundly disagree with. That’s how we should approach this.”


** Breaking up
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So the official split between NBC and MSNBC has a date: Oct. 6. As Variety’s Brian Steinberg aptly put it: ([link removed]) “The NBC is coming out of MSNBC.”

It’s all a part of MSNBC and other cable assets being split off from Comcast into a new company called Versant. That means NBC News journalists will no longer regularly appear on MSNBC, which has and will continue to bulk up its own news staff.

The Hollywood Reporter’s Alex Weprin notes ([link removed]) , “Oct. 20 will be the next critical date, as that is the day when MSNBC will stop using NBC News resources in Washington, D.C. too, instead leaning on its newly-created Washington bureau, led by Sudeep Reddy, with the channel set to add new hires in the coming weeks. The key dates mean that by the end of October, MSNBC will have effectively split off from NBC News and be operating on its own editorially, ahead of the long-planned Versant spinoff, currently expected to close in January.”

In addition, Steinberg reports, “MSNBC and CNBC will no longer join NBC editorial calls and meetings, though Versant will retain access to NBC News’ Decision Desk through the end of the year.”

Eventually, MSNBC is going to be called MS NOW.


** Alden ups its bid (again) for The Dallas Morning News
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For this item, I turn it over to my colleague Rick Edmonds, Poynter’s media business analyst.

Alden Global Capital, through its MediaNews Group affiliate, has increased its offer for the DallasNews Corporation to $20 a share. That’s quite the premium over the deal the company struck July 10 to sell to Hearst at $14 a share ([link removed]) . Hearst raised its own offer this week to $16.50 a share.

The bidding war has the flavor of a football two-minute drill because DallasNews shareholders are scheduled to vote on the sale at a special meeting Tuesday. Robert Decherd, the company’s now-retired longtime CEO, votes the controlling shares of the founding family. He has said he would not approve a sale to Alden under any circumstances. They would likely be terrible stewards of the news quality of the Morning News, Decherd has said, while Hearst would maintain staffing and standards.

That certainly sounds definitive, and I would bet on the Hearst offer going through. But Alden’s persistence suggests hopes for a few other scenarios.

Alden owns about 10% of shares and might be trying to sway other institutional investors with its higher bid. Or other family members might pressure Decherd to take a second look at the premium price. These acquisition fights can quickly flip into litigation, and Alden might try to get the courts to block approval next week, alleging that Morning News executives and the board would not even meet with them and consider their offer.

One more twist: If the Hearst deal does go through, Alden wins even while losing. Shares it bought at a lower price will rise to $16.50, letting the investment fund cash out at a nice premium.


** Business Insider to allow ChatGPT for first drafts
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For this item, I turned it over to my colleague Alex Mahadevan, director of Poynter’s MediaWise and a member of the Poynter faculty who specializes in AI.

Business Insider appears to be one of the first major U.S. newsrooms to explicitly allow reporters to use generative artificial intelligence to write full drafts of stories, according to a memo obtained by Status ([link removed]) . The Axel Springer-owned outlet’s new guidelines permit ChatGPT for writing, while emphasizing that the final product must remain the journalist's “own creative expression.”

Audiences are deeply skeptical of such policies, according to a large-scale study from Poynter and the University of Minnesota ([link removed]) . We found that only 20% of Americans have confidence in newsrooms using AI to write articles.

Perhaps most alarming: 72% of respondents said it's important for news organizations to disclose when AI is used to write news stories. But Business Insider’s policy states that “most uses of A.I. by our journalists do not require disclosure” — meaning readers likely won't know when or how much AI was used to write a story.

As newsrooms face mounting financial pressure and the brewing “Google Zero,” the hypothetical moment when Google ceases to become a search engine and turns into an answer engine with its automated results, Business Insider’s approach may signal what's coming industrywide.

The question is whether audiences will embrace or reject news that's increasingly AI-assisted, especially when they're not told about it.


** More Redford memories
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Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward, left, talks with actor Robert Redford following the premiere of "All the President's Men" in Washington, in 1976. (AP Photo)

Tributes continue to pour in for legendary actor Robert Redford, who passed away this week at the age of 89.

While Redford had dozens of memorable roles, perhaps his most famous was as Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward in 1976’s “All the President’s Men.” Woodward and colleague Carl Bernstein were two of the leading reporters on the Watergate scandal of the early 1970s that ultimately cost Richard Nixon the presidency.

In a statement to The New York Times’ Benjamin Mullin ([link removed]) , Woodward wrote that Redford was a “genuine, a noble and principled force for good who fought successfully to find and communicate the truth. I loved him, and admired him — for his friendship, his fiery independence, and the way he used any platform he had to help make the world better, fairer, brighter for others.”

Mullin wrote, “Mr. Redford’s portrayal of Mr. Woodward in ‘All the President’s Men’ was the product of intense collaboration between the two. On one occasion, Mr. Woodward let his displeasure show while reading a draft of the script, including during a scene in which his character suggests turning in a story even though a search for new information came up short.”

Check out what Woodward told the Post in 2023 ([link removed]) about his reflections on working on the film with Redford.

I also neglected to mention another Redford film that touched on journalism: 1996’s “Up Close and Personal.” In this romantic drama, Redford plays the news director at a Miami TV station. Michelle Pfeiffer plays a reporter and Redford’s love interest. The film project reportedly started off as an adaptation of a book about the late TV anchor Jessica Savitch. However, by the time it was done, the film, which had mixed reviews, ended up veering far from the book.


** Media tidbits
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* The Associated Press’ David Bauder with “Social media has us in its grip and won’t let go. The Charlie Kirk killing is a case study.” ([link removed])
* NPR’s David Folkenflik with “NPR to trim $5 million this year as public radio stations struggle to pay bills.” ([link removed])
* The Anchorage Daily News’ Iris Samuels with “Alaska fund raises $3.5M for public media as federal cuts begin.” ([link removed])
* For Philly Magazine, Pete Croatto with “50 Years of Fresh Air: An Oral History.” ([link removed])
* 404’s Emanuel Maiberg with “DOJ Deletes Study Showing Domestic Terrorists Are Most Often Right Wing.” ([link removed])
* CNBC’s ,Zach Vallese with “YouTube says it has paid creators more than $100 billion over last 4 years.” ([link removed])
* In case you missed it, my Poynter colleague Angela Fu with “Legal experts doubt Trump’s chances in his $15B defamation suit against The New York Times.” ([link removed])
* Interesting nugget from Andrew Marchand’s latest sports media piece ([link removed]) for The Athletic. Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith’s contract with ESPN is for five years and $105 million. We already knew that. But what we didn’t know was that his deal with SiriusXM is for three years and $36 million. Marchand writes, “The $33 million per year base from his two main employers, combined with the revenue from his YouTube channel and podcast, will result in him approaching $40 million a year.” Smith launched his new two-hour weekly SiriusXM political talk show called “Straight Shooter with Stephen A” on the POTUS (“Politics Of The United States”) channel on Wednesday night.


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