Hollywood Week: Jimmy Kimmel Returns, Disney’s Decision, Boycott Lifted, Stopping Free Agency
- Details
- Category: Haute This Issue
- Published on Saturday, 27 September 2025 09:11
- Written by Janet Walker
Late night host Jimmy Kimmel returned to the airwaves this week, after a brief suspension over ill-timed and misunderstood words, which were taken out of context and eventually caused, both a crossover of support for First Amendment rights.
Jimmy Kimmel Returns to Late Night
Kimmel's suspension seemed to ignite a spark in people, many of whom had been dormant since the election, walking around shell-shocked over the decision of the nation, and this moment, which crossed a real, not imaginary, line motivated those who had been lulled into a stupor to stand and demand action.
Hollywood Week: Jimmy Kimmel Suspended, Scapegoated by Nexstar, First Amendment Freedoms, Obama, Meyers, Colbert, O’Brien
The wave of support for him stretched not only coast to coast, but during his opening monologue he highlighted some comments he received from countries across the continent, including from Germany, which he joked, "can you imagine," an authoritarian country like Germany, says, it's so bad over here, in the U.S., that you can work here, for us. Of course, this was a jab at the efforts of the U.S. government to stop free speech. And the German Journalists' Union (DJV) did say pulling Kimmel was an "erosion of freedom of expression in the U.S."
During his opening monologue his vulnerability was tangible, and he delivered an honest apology that displayed sincerity, and didn't violate his principles or go against his stated beliefs. Essentially he walked a fine line between a traditional Kimmel monologue, poking fun at the "kings" who put him in the hot seat, balanced with the right amount of authenticity and candor.
He presented himself and his personal religious beliefs, and he was kind and showed compassion to Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika, whom he specifically mentioned her display of Christian values and belief by forgiving the man accused of her husband's murder. He clarified his statements with dignity, and at times it was clear that the emotion behind his statements were poignant. He was humble, and overwhelmed by the audiences, both in the studio and the wider global audience that supported him, through the uncharted waters.
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He even poked fun at himself, by airing a statement by the president over his frequent low ratings and laughed "not tonight." And he was right, a whopping 6.2 million tuned in to watch his triumphant return, which was preempted in 23 national markets, while millions have watched his initial 28 minute monologue, which began with "As I was saying . . " To finish that thought, which he didn't, "before he was so rudely interrupted."
"ABC also posted the first 28 minutes of Tuesday's show to YouTube shortly after they aired; as of publication time, the video had surpassed 15 million views (YouTube counts 30 seconds of or more of a video playing as a view), a record for a Kimmel monologue. Including other social media platforms, ABC says the monologue has gathered 26 million views so far," reported The Hollywood Reporter.
Disney's Decision
Disney, after nearly a week of the citizen rising up and answering the call from those radio and television hosts who were still free to speak unfettered, cancelling streaming subscriptions, boycotting Disney, protesting at the Burbank headquarters, and falling stock prices, the company agreed to reinstate Kimmel.
ABC/Disney issued the following statement, "Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country," the Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC, said in a statement. "It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive," the statement said. "We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday," reported The New York Times.
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Nexstar, Sinclair Lift Boycott
Affiliate television station owners Nexstar, who initiated the preempting of Late Night with Jimmy Kimmel, initially, and Sinclair, who followed, have both agreed to lift the boycott and return Kimmel to their programming.
Both companies issued statements that slanted the decision as one wrought after deep contemplation, with constructive conversation with ABC/Disney, presenting themselves as caretakers of the communities they serve and therefore the choice to preempt the programming was based on the good of the people that live in the communities they serve, and not on other outstanding or guiding directives.
Nexstar said in a statement, "We stand apart from cable television, monolithic streaming services, and national networks in our commitment — and obligation — to be stewards of the public airwaves and to protect and reflect the specific sensibilities of our communities. To be clear, our commitment to those principles has guided our decisions throughout this process," The Washington Post reported.
Sinclair also issued a statement, "Free speech provides broadcasters with the right to exercise judgment as to the content on their local stations. While we understand that not everyone will agree with our decisions about programming, it is simply inconsistent to champion free speech while demanding that broadcasters air specific content."
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Guarding the Public Sensibilities or Stopping Free Agency
While the intent of both these companies is to guard the public sensibilities, the overriding issue, which many will dismiss now that the Kimmel crisis has been assuaged, is Nexstar's upcoming $6.2 billion dollar deal to purchase more affiliates, broadcasting to more U.S. households, that will fall under the leadership, and political alignment, of one individual within the company, who is determined to control the information broadcasted to control the feelings, positions, and thoughts, of the markets they serve.
Moreover, Brendan Carr, Chairman of the F.C.C., whom everyone in the world now knows, and the decision maker behind the broadcast licenses, is faced with the task of lifting the cap on broadcast reach or limiting the ownership to its current 39% of all households level, forcing Nexstar, who essentially made him a star and one who received a coveted, congratulatory statement from the President, who crowned him a defender of MAGA, to abandon the deal or sell off some of its current affiliates assets to accommodate the law.
As no one company can hold control over more than 39% of all households, even if they own 1000 affiliate stations, the sum total of its broadcast reach cannot exceed 39% of all U.S. television households.
Disney's decision to reinstate Kimmel, even before both major affiliate owners decided to lift the boycott, may still result in the company facing scrutiny and a possible investor lawsuit.
'"There is a credible basis to suspect that the Board and executives may have breached their fiduciary duties of loyalty, care and good faith by placing improper political or affiliate considerations above the best interests of the Company and its stockholders," said the letter, which cites concerns of whether Disney took into consideration Nexstar's $6.2 billion megamerger with Tegna," reported The Hollywood Reporter.
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Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation's top stories, for more than a decade. A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Ms. Walker has completed five screenplays "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She has also published "Unholy Alliances: A True Crime Story," and "Days, Times, Seasons, and Events: A Collection of Poetry & Prose," which can be purchased here. She is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and a member of the International Federation of Journalists.
