Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show is to return to television screens in the US after ABC decided to reinstate the host on Monday.
“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,” ABC said in a statement. “It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive.”
“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,” the network added.
Last week after comments he made about conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed on September 10.
Kimmel said “many in land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk” and that “the MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered as anything other than one of them.”
What has been the reaction to Kimmel’s suspension?
The decision to suspend Kimmel last Wednesday came after Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr threatened investigations and regulatory action against licensed broadcasters who aired Kimmel.
The owners of dozens of local television stations affiliated with ABC said they would no longer carry the show, including Nexstar, which requires FCC approval for a $6.2 billion (€5.23 billion) merger with Tegna.
On Friday, Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz said Carr’s actions were dangerous. In doing so, Cruz broke with fellow Republicans in condemning the Trump administration’s threats against US broadcasters.
US President posted on social media that Kimmel’s suspension was “great news for America.”
Many of Kimmel’s late-night peers had come out in defense of the broadcaster who had hosted “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC since 2003.
involved as symptomatic of growing media suppression.
Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah
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