On Monday, Disney, the owner of ABC, announced the return of presenter Jimmy Kimme to her night program, and that this would resume tomorrow Tuesday.
“Last Wednesday, we decided to suspend the production of the program to avoid further aggravating the situation at an emotional moment for our country. We make this decision because we consider that some of the comments were inopportune and, therefore, insensitive,” said Walt Disney Company in a statement. “We have spent the last days talking thoroughly with Jimmy and, after that, we decided to resume the program on Tuesday.”
Kimmel’s suspension after his comments on the air about Charlie Kirk had become a point of cultural conflict in recent days, causing criticism of the Hollywood community and defenders of freedom of expression of both political parties.
ABC’s decision to suspend Kimmel and then reincorporate him shows how heated the cultural debate about Kirk’s death. Other companies such as Microsoft and The Washington Post have also taken measures against their employees for sharing public comments after the death of the conservative activist.
ABC suspends Jimmy Kimmel’s program for his comments on the death of Charlie Kirk
The controversy began on Wednesday, September 17, when the director of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC (), Brendan Carr, criticized Kimmel’s comments about the death of Charlie Kirk.
Hours after Carr’s comments, ABC suspended the presenter after the pressure of Sinclair and Nexstar, two important companies that own ABC affiliated stations.
The situation was particularly important for Nexstar, which seeks the approval of the FCC for a merger and acquisition agreement of 6 200 million dollars.
Politicians such as former president Barack Obama and numerous Hollywood figures criticized ABC’s decision. Night programs presenters, from Stephen Colbert to Seth Meyers, reacted to Kimmel’s suspension during their programs.
On Thursday a protest was carried out in front of the Walt Disney studios in Burbank, California. “This is a crucial moment for our democracy, and we must all defend the principles of freedom of expression,” Meyers said. “There is a reason why freedom of expression is on the first amendment. It is above all the others.”
