FCC commissioner Anna M. Gomez applauded Disney for finding the courage to reinstate Jimmy Kimmel amid what she calls “clear government intimidation,” ostensibly from President Donald Trump and Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr.
“I am glad to see Disney find its courage in the face of clear government intimidation,” she shared in a Monday statement. “More importantly, I want to thank those Americans from across the ideological spectrum who spoke loudly and courageously against this blatant attempt to silence free speech.”
“As this FCC considers steps that would let the same billion-dollar media conglomerates that caved in to government pressure grow even bigger, we must combat these efforts to stifle free expression,” Gomez concluded. “It will continue to be up to us as citizens to push back against this Administration’s growing campaign of censorship and control. I will keep fighting ensure local broadcasters have the independence to stand up to government threats.”
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is set to return to ABC on Tuesday, six days after the late night host’s show was suspended indefinitely.
“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,” the Walt Disney Company said on Monday. “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.”
Kimmel was taken off the air on Wednesday due to his coverage last week of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. After FCC chair Carr threatened Disney over its licenses — saying they could “do things the easy way or the hard way” — affiliate station owners Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcasting indicated they were preempting his episodes, with ABC ultimately following suit.
However, some of Trump’s fellow conservatives, such as Tucker Carlson, Ben Shapiro and Ted Cruz, as well as 400 Hollywood power players, like Jennifer Aniston, Selena Gomez, Pedro Pascal, Ben Affleck, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, have spoken out about the authoritarian overstep, warning of Freedom of Speech implications.
