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| FCC chair Brendan Carr criticized late-night host Jimmy Kimmel shortly before his show was pulled off the air. Tom Williams/Getty Images; Michael Le Brecht/Disney via Getty Images |
The sudden suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! isn’t just about late-night politics — it’s also unfolding as Nexstar and Sinclair seek FCC approval for billion-dollar broadcast mergers.
Kimmel Pulled Off the Air
On Wednesday, ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! after the late-night host made controversial remarks about the death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
The backlash came swiftly:
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FCC chair Brendan Carr suggested earlier in the day that broadcast licenses could be reviewed to ensure programming met the public interest.
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Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group — the two largest operators of ABC affiliates — threatened to remove Kimmel’s show from their stations.
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Executives at both companies issued statements calling Kimmel’s comments “offensive and insensitive” at a critical political moment.
Sinclair’s vice chairman Jason Smith and Nexstar’s broadcasting president Andrew Alford both pushed for Kimmel’s removal. Nexstar’s chief communications officer Gary Weitman later stressed that the move was made internally, without FCC involvement.
The $6.2 Billion Deal Behind the Drama
The episode arrives at a delicate time for the local TV industry.
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Nexstar is attempting a $6.2 billion takeover of Tegna, another major operator.
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Sinclair is reviewing its business strategy and exploring potential acquisitions or partnerships.
Both efforts would require FCC approval — and that means keeping federal regulators on their side.
The Nexstar–Tegna deal faces particular scrutiny: if approved, it could push Nexstar’s reach above the 39% national ownership cap, a legal limit on how much of the U.S. audience one broadcaster can control.
Rob Frieden, a telecom law professor at Penn State, noted:
“The FCC has solicited comments to refresh the record because they are certainly looking for ways to accommodate these mega mergers.”
That could mean waivers or even rule changes — both requiring a favorable FCC.
Politics and Precedent
Industry experts see the Kimmel controversy as more than just a content issue — it’s a regulatory chess match.
Jim Speta, a Northwestern University law professor, compared it to the Skydance–Paramount merger, which won FCC approval shortly after CBS canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
“The lesson Nexstar may have learned is that they have to make the Trump administration or the FCC happy enough with them in order to get an approval of the merger,” Speta said.
In other words, appeasing regulators may play just as big a role in merger approvals as audience demand.
The Bigger Picture
Broadcast networks are under intense pressure:
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Political scrutiny is at an all-time high.
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Affiliate operators need FCC support for expansion.
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Late-night television, once a cultural centerpiece, is increasingly becoming a political liability for networks trying to balance creative freedom with regulatory oversight.
Whether or not Kimmel returns, the timing of his suspension shows just how much billion-dollar business deals can influence what viewers see on air.
