ABC suspends production of ‘Kimmel’ over Kirk comments: Here’s what’s happened

On Sept. 17, 2025, ABC announced it would preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live” after the show’s namesake host made comments about the death of right-leaning host Charlie Kirk.

• The show in question aired Sept. 15, 2025. The show typically tapes at 4:30 p.m. Pacific time and is fed to ABC stations across the country later.
• Criticism quickly mounted about Kimmel’s comments, especially from the right. Donald Trump weighed in as well.
• On Sept. 17, 2025, Nexstar Media Group, the largest owner of TV stations in the country, announced it would preempt “Kimmel” on the ABC stations it owns. Nexstar has proposed a merger with Tegna, which will require FCC approval to transfer the TV station licenses for the stations it’s buying. The FCC will also need to make substantial changes to the law to lift ownership caps that would been needed to make the sale more profitable.
• Also on Sept. 17, FCC chairman Brendan Carr suggested the comments could lead to a threat to ABC affiliates’ licenses over Kimmel’s comments.
• Later in the day, Sept. 17, ABC announced Kimmel had been suspended and it would “indefinitely” pull the show from its schedule.
• The network aired a repeat of “Celebrity Family Feud” in the timeslot Sept. 17.
• On Sept. 18, 2025, Democratic lawmakers called for Carr’s resignation.
• ABC’s affiliate board notified ABC stations they should expect “Kimmel” to be off until at least Sept. 18, at which time they can expect an update.
• Also on Sept. 18, Carr appeared on CNBC and said Kimmel appeared to have “mislead” the public about the Kirk killing.
• Disney, the parent of ABC, faced public backlash over the decision to take Kimmel off the air, including speculation about the “real” reason why it made the decision.
• There have also been reports that Kimmel’s show was cleared to air on ABC but execs, perhaps as high as CEO Bob Iger, opted to yank the show for fear of retribution from Trump. 
• Like all broadcast networks, ABC has a standards and practices team that regularly reviews the content of its shows for potential red flags that could get the network in trouble for any number of reasons. It’s not clear how high up, if at all, Kimmel’s comments may been run up the flagpole for the OK from the big bosses. 
• Trump has dismissed concerns over free speech over the issue.
• Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson has spoken out against Trump using Kirk’s killing to trample on the First Amendment.
• Anecdotal reports of users cancelling their Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions began popping up after the announcement.
• Despite some reports claiming “Jimmy Kimmel Live” has been “canceled,” the show has not been formally canceled based on the definition traditionally used by the television industry. Some reports do note that the show as been “canceled” in the sense of the concept of “cancel culture.”
• Likewise, reports that Kimmel had been “fired” that began emerging Sept. 17 are not correct. Neither ABC, Disney, 21st Century Television or Kimmel have made any comment or announcement over the decision.
• It’s also not clear if Kimmel (the person) has been formally suspended from ABC. The show itself has suspended production, however.
• It was also not immediately clear how ABC is handling other “Kimmel” show staffers, including if they will continue to be paid.