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John,
By now you’ve heard the alarming news that ABC caved to pressure from the Trump administration, suspending Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely. The network blamed “affiliate concerns.”
But the real story is about politics — and a billion dollar merger.
Here’s the timeline:
- July 17–18, 2025: CBS announces The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end in May 2026; Colbert’s axing lands amid the Paramount–Skydance merger push. Soon after, Trump boasts that “Kimmel is NEXT… and then Fallon” on Truth Social.
- Aug. 19, 2025: Nexstar announces a $6.2B deal to acquire TEGNA, a mega-merger that will need FCC sign-off and likely relaxed ownership caps.
- Sept. 15, 2025: On his show, Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue slams MAGA attempts to politicize Kirk’s killing.
- Sept. 17, 2025: FCC Chair Brendan Carr publicly warned broadcasters about carrying Kimmel, hinting at regulatory consequences. Within hours, Nexstar — the largest local television owner in America and a key ABC affiliate operator — announced its stations would preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! “indefinitely.”
The move was no coincidence: Nexstar is pushing a $6.2 billion merger that needs Trump’s FCC approval.
Faced with its most powerful affiliate turning away, Disney/ABC caved and pulled the show nationwide. Trump celebrated the takedown as “Great News for America” — and immediately urged NBC to cancel Jimmy Fallon next.
John, this is only the beginning. Trump is showing America what “retribution” looks like: silencing comedians, intimidating journalists, and bending corporate media to his will.
That’s why COURIER exists. We don’t answer to billionaires, advertisers, or Trump’s threats.
We’re building the country’s largest grassroots-funded progressive media network to ensure that truth and free speech survive this dark moment.
Legacy media may keep folding. But with your support, COURIER never will.
In solidarity,
The COURIER Team