Sinclair Broadcast Group, the nation’s largest ABC affiliate group, says that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will not return until “appropriate steps have been taken to uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform.” They call on Kimmel to apologize and donate to Turning Point USA.

    Posted by Goosedukee

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    1. Kimmel would rather die then donate to that. He’s gonna walk and negotiate a really good exit package for his employees.

    2. GreenPowerline95 on

      This is crazy because Kirk has never been on ABC anything…. Why all this fake grand standing?

    3. So I guess Sinclair didn’t read or hear the comments huh?

      CK was not the target of the comments, whom the killer associated with, and how little DT cared for the deceased were the points made.

    4. Granted, I’m just a caveman who’s also a lawyer*, but holding somebody’s job hostage in order to force them to make a donation to a political group feels super illegal. Like, *super* illegal.

      Every mainstream Democrat/lib has been almost universally disappointing, so I’m not holding out much hope, but it is my sincerest wish that Kimmel doesn’t buckle here. Dude’s got boatloads of money to fight this and will likely land on his feet should the worst come to pass. He might as well, to paraphrase Mehdi Hasan, use his fuck you money to say fuck you.

      *jk I’m not a lawyer this is a reference

    5. I can’t imagine how he’s feeling right now. It’s not just him. There are hundreds of people employed by his show who will be out of work if he doesn’t cave in and do this. This whole thing is just..monstrous. I don’t even know what’s happening anymore.

    6. If Kimmel holds his ground on this I will have eternal unwavering respect for that man that I’ve previously only held a ‘meh’ to slightly negative opinion of.

    7. I don’t think he said anything wrong, and I hope he doesn’t apologize for what he said, but I also feel for the people who work for him, who will likely lose their jobs over this situation.

    8. They want to air a special dedicated to Kirk during his show’s time slot, make him apologize to Kirk’s family and also make a “MEANINGFUL” donation to Kirk’s family and Turning Point USA. This is beyond humiliating for Kimmel and honestly, anyone that says what Kirk actually stood for. Pathetic!

    9. iheartgoldenpups on

      So essentially ABC and Jimmy Kimmel are being blackmailed by these syndicators (look up how Nexstar just got a huge gift from the Trump Administration a month ago) to donate to Turning Point when what he said wasn’t even false. ABC can’t produce the show when the syndicators won’t put it on air, so they’re in a lose/lose situation here.

    10. It’s not even Disney alone. It was the government. The FCC weighed in on Jimmy Kimmel and the industry has pivoted in response to protect their own hide.

      This is actually a first amendment issue, unlike when some leftwing or rightwing pitchfork mobs try to pressure private companies.

      And the FCC chairman will get away with it because integrity and professional neutrality is dead. No committee in Congress is going to punish someone if they feign ignorance or plead memory loss. No one was told to fire Jimmy Kimmel, but the media conglomerates know if they did nothing then the FCC could make their lives difficult. Blocking mergers, etc… again, all very hard to prove illegality.

      Banana republic shit going on. Major news anchor calls for mass murder of mentally ill homeless people, nothing. Comedian makes fun of rightwing media for politicizing political identity of Kirk’s shooter, cancelled.

    11. Lost_Installation on

      Sinclair is part of the problem, part of why our country is divided, and protecting pedophiles.

      Change my mind.

    12. Magical_Love_Bubble on

      Nah, Jimmie should keep it this way and give no apology and he definitely should not get bullied or pressured into the donation part! Walk away with your head held high. This country is so scary and disappointing right now. I feel like I did when I was at school on 9/11, I was thinking war was about to start on US soil. I was a kid then and didn’t know what it all meant but this is different, this feels closer than ever before.

    13. Question, since the show is filmed in CA, are they still beholden to CA labor laws?

      If they cancel his show could that open up his staff to file unlawful termination lawsuits on Disney?

    14. SomeLilPunkinaRocket on

      This is insanity. Obviously there’s no logic or actual moral standards at play here but just think about all the absolutely fucking insane shit that right wing people have said on TV over the years and it was crickets. And Charlie Kirk was apparently allowed his right to free speech according to literally everyone who has lost their minds over the last week but even the mildest of criticisms in return gets…. all this in response?

      Fascism is crazy, man.

    15. Particular-Yoghurt81 on

      They are forcing him to donate to a political organization?! How is this not a shake down?!

      God I hope Kimmel has an iron clad payout in his contract. USE IT. Make it hurt for ABC.

      Also, this is the fucking END of broadcast TV. It’s done. It’s so done.

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