Broadcasters face apprehension in light of Trump: "They've been scaring themselves silly all day"
In a dramatic turn of events, Jimmy Kimmel, the popular late-night talk show host, has been dismissed from his position. This move, according to reports, is part of a larger plan by former President Donald Trump against critical media.
The catalyst for this development seems to be the comments made by Jimmy Kimmel regarding the controversial figure, Charlie Kirk. However, the background to this dismissal is the solidarity shown by Kimmel's colleagues, who stand by him in this time of challenge.
Stephen Colbert, host of The Late Show, was one of the first to speak out. He began his monologue by stating, "Today we are all Jimmy Kimmel," referring to the removal of his colleague as "blatant censorship." Colbert criticised the FCC boss, Brendan Carr, for calling on US broadcasters to self-censor, stating that giving an inch to autocrats can lead to dangerous consequences.
Carr, head of the FCC media watchdog, has been vocal about his disapproval of Kimmel's behaviour, calling it "the most sickening behaviour possible." However, in 2020, Carr sounded different, emphasising that late-night shows and political satire are important to hold the powerful to account. Restricting this, he said, would be "a serious threat to our freedoms."
The decision to oust Kimmel was made at an emergency meeting, according to Rolling Stone, due to fear of the Trump administration's revenge. The US companies that likely supported Jimmy Kimmel's dismissal under pressure from Donald Trump and the FCC include Disney (owner of ABC, the broadcaster of Kimmel's show) and the Nexstar Media Group, which stopped airing "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on its 32 ABC-affiliated stations following pressure from FCC chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump supporter.
Trump's plan against critical media is not new. It includes a long campaign against critical media, shown by lawsuits against ABC, CBS, the "New York Times" and others, as well as his dealings with PBS and NPR, where he has cut off funding. Trump is also thinking out loud about revoking the licenses of critical broadcasters.
David Letterman warned that this could lead to managed media, which is not good. Stephen Colbert addressed Trump and the FCC in his Late Show monologue, criticising the potential revoking of broadcasters' licenses. Jimmy Fallon expressed hope for Kimmel's return, while Seth Meyers spoke out against the "crackdown on free speech."
Jon Stewart made an exception to host the Daily Show to show solidarity with Jimmy Kimmel, playing a servile role to demonstrate political comedy under potential censorship. The colleagues of Jimmy Kimmel continue to support him in this challenging time.
In the face of this censorship, it remains to be seen how the media landscape will evolve and whether freedom of speech will be upheld.
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