MARIO ANZUONI/REUTERS
- A group of Disney shareholders is demanding records on Disney’s brief suspension of Kimmel.
- Kimmel was pulled off the air after FCC Chair Brendon Carr criticized the host’s comments.
- Shareholders said in a letter that they suspect Disney’s board may have prioritized politics over company interests.
Jimmy Kimmel’s return to ABC may have pleased his fans, but it did not entirely pacify Disney shareholders.
On Wednesday, a coalition of Disney shareholders sent a letter to the company demanding internal records, from emails to meeting schedules, related to its brief suspension of the late-night host. Disney is the parent company of ABC, where Kimmel’s show is aired.
Lawyers representing the American Federation of Teachers and Reporters Without Borders asked Disney to disclose how the suspension decision was made, the financial impact assessment, Disney’s agreements with affiliates Nexstar and Sinclair, and communications with government officials or political groups.
“Although we are pleased that ABC did the right thing and put Jimmy Kimmel back on the air last night, due to the Trump administration’s continued threats to free speech, including with respect to ABC, we are writing to seek transparency into the initial decision to suspend Mr. Kimmel and his show,” wrote the lawyers in a letter viewed by Business Insider.
“There is a credible basis to suspect that the Board and executives may have breached their fiduciary duties of loyalty, care, and good faith by placing improper political or affiliate considerations above the best interests of the Company and its stockholders,” the lawyers added in the letter addressed to Bob Iger, Disney’s CEO.
Nextstar, an ABC affiliate, pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air after FCC chair Brendan Carr publicly condemned Kimmel’s comments about Charlie Kirk and warned that broadcast licenses could be reviewed in a podcast. ABC, which is owned by Disney, then said it would suspend Kimmel’s show “indefinitely,” which sparked widespread concerns over speech freedom and censorship.
Disney shares fell around 3.3% between Kimmel’s suspension on September 17 and his reinstatement on September 23. Nextstar and Sinclair, both of which own a significant number of local ABC stations, have yet to reveal any plans to air Kimmel’s show, though his comeback show on Tuesday night became his most-watched YouTube video of the year and reached 6.26 million viewers.
Under state laws of Delaware, where Disney is incorporated, shareholders can request access to corporate books and records to probe potential misconduct, though the scope is usually limited to board-level decisions. The shareholders have warned Disney in the letter that they would take the company to court if the documents aren’t turned over within five business days.
Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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