Though Disney and ABC reversed course Monday on late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel’s “indefinite” suspension, both Nexstar and Sinclair, two TV station operators that own and control roughly 25% of local ABC affiliates, have said they will continue to preempt Kimmel’s broadcasts with other programming:
Nexstar, a major owner of local ABC stations, said on Tuesday morning that it would pre-empt Mr. Kimmel’s show indefinitely. Sinclair, another owner of local affiliates, said the same on Monday evening, hours after Disney announced “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” would return. Nexstar said it would replace the comedy show with news programming, pending further “discussions with ABC.”
“Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return,” Sinclair added in their statement.
The continued defiance of both Nexstar and Sinclair in refusing to air future episodes of Kimmel’s show pending negotiations with ABC and Disney has ruffled the feathers of Democrats, many of whom previously argued after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr suggested last week that action might be taken that the government should never threaten the First Amendment rights of media organizations.
As a result, four Democratic Senators, including Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), have kicked off a probe into Nexstar and Sinclair on grounds that they’re allegedly doing this to curry favor with the Trump administration:
In a letter, first obtained by NBC News, the lawmakers asked the corporate heads of both companies for more information about their decisions to pre-empt airings of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “how those decisions may relate to regulatory issues pending with the Trump administration.”“If you suspended a late-night comedian’s show in part to seek regulatory favors from the administration, you have not only assisted the administration in eroding First Amendment freedoms but also create the appearance of a possible quid-pro-quo arrangement that could implicate federal anti-corruption laws,” the lawmakers wrote.[…]Nexstar and Sinclair both have pending business before the Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission, which regulates the broadcast television industry and other key media platforms. Nexstar is seeking FCC approval for a proposed $6.2 billion merger with a rival, Tegna. Sinclair is exploring merger options for its broadcast business, according to CNBC.
“Make no mistake: the statements from FCC Chairman Carr and President Trump represent an extraordinary abuse of power that jeopardizes all Americans’ First Amendment rights,” Sens. Warren, Ed Markey (MA), Chris Van Hollen (MD), and Ron Wyden (OR) wrote in the letter. “These moves should be investigated to determine if they violate federal law.”
This turn of events, where Democrats have gone from “this is fascism!” to “let’s investigate these TV station owners!” prompted conservatives to respond on the X machine accordingly:
As per the norm, it’s always (D)ifferent when Democrats do it. Always.
– Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym “Sister Toldjah” and can be reached via X. –
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