The RecordExhibit 48
The FCC chair leans on ABC, and Kimmel goes dark
Pending means: In court or under criminal investigation right now.
Hours after FCC chair Brendan Carr warned ABC affiliates they could handle Jimmy Kimmel 'the easy way or the hard way,' ABC suspended his show.
What happened
Station owners Nexstar and Sinclair pulled the show first; Nexstar had a $6 billion merger awaiting FCC approval at the time. Public backlash got Kimmel back on the air within days.
Where it stands
In April 2026 the FCC ordered an early review of all eight broadcast licenses held by ABC-owned stations, years before they expire and the first early review it had ordered in more than 50 years, citing the network's diversity and inclusion practices. On Aug. 18, 2026, ABC, its parent company Disney and the eight stations sued the FCC in federal court in Washington on First Amendment grounds, calling the review retaliation for their speech and quoting Carr's remark about Kimmel. On Sept. 3 the FCC asked U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan to throw the lawsuit out, arguing that it would hobble the agency's investigation into allegations of unlawful discrimination at Disney and that the case belongs in a federal appeals court. A hearing is set for Oct. 6, and the FCC has agreed to give at least 48 hours' notice before sending the licenses to a hearing. No ruling yet. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz compared Carr's comments to a mafioso's and called them dangerous.
The administration's side
Carr later said the suspension had nothing to do with anything the federal government did. The FCC says all broadcasters have a legal obligation to operate in the public interest, and that it has been examining claims of illegal discrimination in Disney's diversity practices for more than a year. Carr has said he has not decided whether to send Disney's licenses to a hearing.
Sources
Permanent link: https://unredactedrecord.com/e/kimmel/