# FCC chair's remarks precede ABC's suspension of Jimmy Kimmel

Published 2026-09-22. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 2 sources.

Status: in effect, as of 2026-09-22.

What we don't know: The exact private communications, if any, between the FCC and ABC, Nexstar or Sinclair around the suspension have not been made public.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr suggested broadcasters could face regulatory consequences over Jimmy Kimmel's on-air remarks; ABC suspended Kimmel's show the same day, followed within hours by affiliate groups Nexstar and Sinclair.[1]

- Country: [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us)
- Where: United States
- Level of government: National
- Tactic: Funding and ownership pressure
- Head of government at the time: [Donald Trump](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/donald-trump)
- Outcome: Unknown
- Era: The 2020s

## What happened

On September 17, 2025, FCC Chair Brendan Carr made public remarks widely reported as directed at broadcasters carrying Jimmy Kimmel Live! after Kimmel's comments about the killing of Charlie Kirk, saying regulators could take action against station licenses. Within hours, ABC announced it would pull the show indefinitely, and affiliate groups Nexstar and Sinclair separately said they would preempt it on their owned stations. Press-freedom and free-speech commentators, including some FCC commissioners, characterized Carr's remarks as government pressure on a broadcaster's editorial decisions rather than routine license oversight, noting that the FCC does not ordinarily comment on the content of a specific late-night program. The episode was widely cited afterward as an example of a regulator using licensing authority as leverage over program content rather than enforcing a specific rule violation.[2][1][3][4]

Kimmel's show was later reinstated on ABC; the episode is widely cited as a precedent for FCC-broadcaster pressure.[4]

## What reason was given

Carr said broadcasters could "do this the easy way or the hard way," warning of "additional work for the FCC ahead" if companies did not act on Kimmel.[2]

## What changed for reporting

Jimmy Kimmel Live! went off the air on ABC and on Nexstar- and Sinclair-owned affiliate stations; commentators said the episode illustrated regulatory leverage being used against broadcast content decisions.[3]

## Timeline

- 2025-09-17: FCC chair's remarks precede ABC's suspension of Jimmy Kimmel

## Who acted

| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Brendan Carr](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/brendan-carr) | announced | Chair, Federal Communications Commission |
| [Federal Communications Commission](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/federal-communications-commission) | other | Independent federal regulatory agency |

## Outlets and journalists

| Name | Kind | Relation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [ABC News](https://thewaronnews.com/outlets/abc-news) | outlet | affected |

## Sources

1. FCC's Brendan Carr and the Kimmel suspension. https://www.npr.org/2025/09/19/nx-s1-5546764/fcc-brendan-carr-kimmel-trump-free-speech (NPR, 2025-09-19).
2. Why is Jimmy Kimmel returning to ABC, what did his suspension cost Disney?. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/23/why-is-jimmy-kimmel-returning-to-abc-what-did-his-suspension-cost-disney (Al Jazeera, 2025-09-23).

## Claims cited

[1] ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! the same day as Carr's remarks. Quote: "Kimmel's late-night show was pulled from the air on September 17 hours after the U.S. government threatened to cancel broadcasting licenses" Source: NPR, 2025-09-19. FCC's Brendan Carr and the Kimmel suspension. https://www.npr.org/2025/09/19/nx-s1-5546764/fcc-brendan-carr-kimmel-trump-free-speech Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/96, checked 2026-09-22.

[2] Carr framed the choice for broadcasters as cooperating on Kimmel or facing further FCC scrutiny. Quote: "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct to take action on Kimmel or, you know, there's going to be additional work for the FCC ahead." Source: NPR, 2025-09-19. FCC's Brendan Carr and the Kimmel suspension. https://www.npr.org/2025/09/19/nx-s1-5546764/fcc-brendan-carr-kimmel-trump-free-speech Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/8, checked 2026-09-22.

[3] ABC and two large affiliate groups pulled or preempted the program within hours of Carr's remarks. Quote: "Nexstar and Sinclair Broadcast Group...announced they would pull Kimmel's show indefinitely. Then, so did ABC." Source: NPR, 2025-09-19. FCC's Brendan Carr and the Kimmel suspension. https://www.npr.org/2025/09/19/nx-s1-5546764/fcc-brendan-carr-kimmel-trump-free-speech Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/97, checked 2026-09-22.

[4] Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned to ABC's schedule after the suspension. Quote: "Kimmel's show is set to return on Tuesday night, after a weeklong impasse" Source: Al Jazeera, 2025-09-23. Why is Jimmy Kimmel returning to ABC, what did his suspension cost Disney?. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/23/why-is-jimmy-kimmel-returning-to-abc-what-did-his-suspension-cost-disney Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/98, checked 2026-09-22.

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-fcc-pressure-precedes-kimmel-suspension. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.