The legacy newscasts decided that Disney/ABC’s restoration of Jimmy Kimmel Live! would sit at the top of the A-block- top story on ABC and NBC, and second story on CBS. In many ways, this editorial decision exemplifies both the media’s disconnect from the public they claim to serve, and the insular circling of the wagons for one of their own under duress.
Watch as ABC’s David Muir and Matt Gutman lay out the corporate synergy on World News Tonight:
DAVID MUIR: Good evening. And it's great to have you with us here on a Monday night. And we begin tonight with the breaking news. Disney/ABC late today saying Jimmy Kimmel will return tomorrow night. Disney says the decision comes after thoughtful conversations with Kimmel. Disney, the parent company of ABC, had suspended Kimmel's show indefinitely after his comments in the wake of the Charlie Kirk shooting, and after pressure from President Trump's FCC chairman for some ABC stations not to carry Kimmel's show. The move igniting a nationwide debate about political pressure and about protecting free speech in this country. Tonight, Disney/ABC saying it suspended the show for a time to, quote,” avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.” Kimmel returns tomorrow night, and ABC's Matt Gutman leading us off now from Los Angeles.
MATT GUTMAN: Tonight, Disney/ABC announcing Jimmy Kimmel will return to the air tomorrow night after they paused the show indefinitely after comments he made about the ideology of the suspect in Charlie Kirk's killing. Tonight, Disney saying in a statement: “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. 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.”
Gutman, fresh off expressing wonderment at tender but murderous transgender love, comes on and shills for the Mouse House. After reading the statement, Gutman mentions the FCC angle to the story but completely omits any mention of the advertiser revolt or of Sinclair and Nexstar refusing to bring Kimmel back even if Disney does so. The entire report was nothing more than an infomercial for Kimmel’s return show.
CBS’s report was no better on substance, also omitting key details such as the affiliate and advertiser revolts. On the other hand, the viewer doesn’t emerge from the story with the feeling of having been subjected to a lengthy ad.
To their credit, NBC offered far more substance to their viewers than did ABC and CBS. While still featuring a pro-Kimmel slant, Liz Kreutz DID report on the affiliate groups in detail, specifying their conditions for returning Kimmel to their stations:
LIZ KREUTZ: Disney and ABC pulled Kimmel from the air after pressure from the FCC chairman and two major television groups who said they would stop airing the show following conservative outrage over Kimmel’s comments. Sinclair, which owns dozens of ABC stations nationwide, previously said it would not air Jimmy Kimmel Live again unless the comedian apologized to the Kirk family and made a donation to them and Turning Point USA. Sinclair has not yet said whether it will run Kimmel’s show tomorrow night.
Additionally, NBC was the only outlet to report on the new details of the labor leader that shot up the ABC affiliate in Sacramento, which include enough evidence to confirm that this is indeed a political shooting. Another left-wing political shooting.
Beyond this little oasis of reporting from NBC, the legacy newscasts did what they do best: anti-inform their viewers, sow left-wing narratives, and take care of their own. Disney might be Kimmel’s corporate parent, but everyone was interested in “helping out” with comms.
Click “expand” to view the full transcripts of the aforementioned reports as aired on their respective networks on Monday, September 23rd, 2025:
ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT
9/22/25
6:32 PM
DAVID MUIR: Good evening. And it's great to have you with us here on a Monday night. And we begin tonight with the breaking news. Disney/ABC late today saying Jimmy Kimmel will return tomorrow night. Disney says the decision comes after thoughtful conversations with Kimmel. Disney, the parent company of ABC, had suspended Kimmel's show indefinitely after his comments in the wake of the Charlie Kirk shooting, and after pressure from President Trump's FCC chairman for some ABC stations not to carry Kimmel's show. The move igniting a nationwide debate about political pressure and about protecting free speech in this country. Tonight, Disney/ABC saying it suspended the show for a time to, quote,” avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.” Kimmel returns tomorrow night, and ABC's Matt Gutman leading us off now from Los Angeles.
MATT GUTMAN: Tonight, Disney/ABC announcing Jimmy Kimmel will return to the air tomorrow night after they paused the show indefinitely after comments he made about the ideology of the suspect in Charlie Kirk's killing. Tonight, Disney saying in a statement: “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. 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 temporary pause came after pressure from President Trump's FCC chairman Brendan Carr, who blasted Kimmel’s comments. Carr pressuring local ABC stations to stop airing Kimmel's late night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live.
BRENDAN CARR: We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or, you know, there's going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.
GUTMAN: Disney/ABC then suspended Kimmel’s show, quote: ”indefinitely from the entire network to allow for discussions with Kimmel and his team.” What followed was a fierce debate over free speech in this country. Critics suggesting the move was caving to political pressure and jeopardizing free speech. Even some republicans and well-known conservatives speaking out against censorship and the importance of protecting free speech. Republican Texas senator Ted Cruz comparing Brendan Carr's comments to those of a mafia boss.
TED CRUZ: He says, “we can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way.”
BEN FERGUSON: Yeah.
CRUZ: And I got to say, that's right out of "Goodfellas." That's right out of a mafioso coming into a bar going, “nice bar have you here. It’s be a shame if something happened to it.”
GUTMAN: President Trump even suggesting the late night hosts on NBC should be next, and suggested outlets who repeatedly report critically on the president could lose their broadcast licenses.
DONALD TRUMP: They give me only bad publicity, or press. I mean -- they're getting a license. I would think maybe their license should be taken away. It would be up to Brendan Carr.
GUTMAN: Those words from the president, who signed an executive order on Day One pledging to protect free speech.
TRUMP: And I've stopped all government censorship and brought back free speech in America. It's back.
GUTMAN: Today at The White House, the press secretary was asked what message this all sends to Americans who might be afraid to express their own beliefs?
KAROLINE LEAVITT: We have a right to free speech in this country. The president supports it, it is protected by our beautiful Constitution. And Americans should not cower in fear, they should rise up in courage to continue speaking the truth.
GUTMAN: And David, in just about 24 hours, Jimmy Kimmel and his team will be back at that stage behind me to tape their show in what is very likely to be a highly anticipated return to late night TV. David.
MUIR: Matt Gutman leading us off here tonight. Matt, thank you.
CBS EVENING NEWS
9/22/25
6:35 PM
JOHN DICKERSON: Disney and Jimmy Kimmel settle their differences today. His eponymous program will return to ABC tomorrow night.
MAURICE DuBOIS: Kimmel was suspended last week after making what Disney called “insensitive and ill-timed comments” about the assassination of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Jonathan Vigliotti is in Hollywood tonight.
LOU WILSON: Jimmy! Kimmel!
JONATHAN VIGLIOTTI: Jimmy Kimmel will return to the air tomorrow night. Disney, the parent company of ABC, said in a statement that “we made the decision to spend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country. 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.” Hours before Disney's announcement, FCC chairman Brendan Carr said Kimmel's suspension had nothing to do with government influence.
BRENDAN CARR: Jimmy Kimmel was in a situation that he’s in because of his ratings. Not because of anything that’s happened at the federal government level.
VIGLIOTTI: Those comments were a departure from what Carr said last week.
CARR: I mean, look. We can do this the easy way or the hard way, these companies can find ways to change conduct and take action. Frankly, on Kimmel, or, you know, there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.
VIGLIOTTI: Since Kimmel was pulled, pushback has come from all parts of the political spectrum. Republican senator Rand Paul.
RAND PAUL: Absolutely inappropriate, Brendan Carr has no business weighing in on this.
VIGLIOTTI: And Republican senator Ted Cruz likened the FCC chair’s words to a gangster movie.
TED CRUZ: That's right out of "Goodfellas." That's right out of a mafioso coming into a bar going, “nice bar have you here. It’s be a shame if something happened to it.”
VIGLIOTTI: And supporters of Kimmel came out once again in front of his studios to voice their opposition against what they call an assault on free speech.
LAURA FRIEDMAN: This is not a partisan issue. It is an American issue.
VIGLIOTTI: Democratic Congresswoman Laura Friedman represents California's 30th district, which includes Hollywood.
FRIEDMAN: What we are seeing is this administration being willing to use their power to try to threaten broadcasters who don't agree with them.
VIGLIOTTI: It's unclear if ABC has been in communication with the FCC and what rules, if any, Kimmel might have to abide by while the FCC chairman has reframed a suspension as one motivated by lower ratings. One thing is clear: a lot of eyes will be on Kimmel when he returns to the theater behind me tomorrow night.
DICKERSON: Jonathan Vigliotti. Thank you.
NBC NIGHTLY NEWS
9/22/25
6:35 PM
TOM LLAMAS: Good evening. It‘s been nearly a week since Jimmy Kimmel's show was suspended. But starting tomorrow, the late-night comedian will be on the air once again. Disney announcing Kimmel’s return after what it calls “thoughtful conversations”, saying it pulled the show last week because of “comments that were ill-timed, and thus insensitive.” ABC and Disney faced pressure from the FCC and major station groups after Kimmel made the comments, in the wake of Charlie Kirk's killing. But, the suspension was met with concerns about freedom of speech. In Hollywood, you see the list here, hundreds including Meryl Streep and Jennifer Aniston signed an open letter condemning the suspension. Kimmel himself has been silent so far, but what will he have to say when he comes back? Liz Kreutz starts us off tonight.
LIZ KREUTZ: Tonight, after nearly a week of silence, Disney announcing Jimmy Kimmel will be back on the air Tuesday night. The company says the reversal comes after days of thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, adding Kimmel’s show was suspended last week to avoid further inflaming a tense situation, calling his comments in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination, ill-timed, and thus, insensitive.
JIMMY KIMMEL: We hit some new lows over the weekend, with the Maga over the weekend trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points.
KREUTZ: Disney and ABC pulled Kimmel from the air after pressure from the FCC chairman and two major television groups who said they would stop airing the show following conservative outrage over Kimmel’s comments. Sinclair, which owns dozens of ABC stations nationwide, previously said it would not air Jimmy Kimmel Live again unless the comedian apologized to the Kirk family and made a donation to them and Turning Point USA. Sinclair has not yet said whether it will run Kimmel’s show tomorrow night.
PROTESTER: Free speech is under attack.
KREUTZ: The decision to put Kimmel back on the air comes as Disney faces mounting backlash, including protests and calls to boycott the company.
HOWARD STERN: I am canceling my Disney plus.
KREUTZ: Today, ABC's The View finally addressing the controversy.
WHOOPI GOLBERG: The government cannot apply pressure to force someone to be silent.
KREUTZ: Two days after Kimmel was pulled off the air, police say 64- year-old Anibal Hernandez Santana fired shots into an ABC station in Sacramento. Tonight, the district attorney telling NBC News investigators found anti-Trump notes in his home, and that they believe Kimmel’s suspension may have been a factor.
THIEN HO: We are still looking at and investigating the case, but he chose a very particular target, and with the notes that he left behind, I think there’s circumstantial evidence to show this is a politically motivated crime by this individual.
KREUTZ: Hernandez Santana, a retired state lobbyist, was first arrested by local police on Friday, but released on bail. The FBI then stepped in and rearrested him . His attorney says he plans to plead not guilty to the number of state and federal charges he now faces.
LLAMAS: Liz joins us now live. The big question, do we know if Kimmel is going to apologize?
KREUTZ: Tom, we do not know, but we do know that he plans to address his suspension tomorrow night. The other big question, of course, is whether Nexstar and Sinclair will choose to air the show at all. NBC News has reached out to both media companies. So far, no comment. Tom.
LLAMAS: All right. Liz Kreutz with that new reporting tonight. Liz, we thank you.
