The news: “Jimmy Kimmel Live” has been pulled off the air indefinitely, ABC announced.

The decision came after FCC Chair Brendan Carr, appointed under President Donald Trump, threatened to “take action” against Disney and ABC after Jimmy Kimmel criticized right-wing responses to the assassination during his late-night monologue.

• Carr called Kimmel’s remarks “the sickest conduct possible” and suggested the FCC could use broadcast license renewals to pressure Disney into disciplining him.
• Carr went further in an interview with podcaster Benny Johnson, calling Kimmel “talentless” and “desperately irrelevant.”

Disney and ABC have not commented publicly.

Zooming out: This is not Carr’s first clash with Disney properties—he previously targeted “The View” co-host Joy Behar over comments about Trump. Competitors have not been spared, either: “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” was also cancelled after its host made comments on CBS settling a lawsuit with Trump.

Why it matters: The FCC oversees interstate and international communications across radio, TV, wire, satellite, and cable to serve the public interest. But heavy-handed regulation could further erode time spent with those channels while FCC-free streaming platforms flourish.

Carr’s warning implies the FCC could expand its oversight beyond indecency and technical compliance to political speech—an unprecedented step that could reshape broadcast norms. The FCC has not historically intervened in political expression. Any shift toward policing content could create lasting uncertainty for networks, producers, and talent.

Late-night comedy has long relied on satire and political critique. If broadcasters fear losing licenses, networks may self-censor, narrowing the scope of commentary. Advertisers, meanwhile, may become wary of running campaigns on ABC or Disney channels if regulatory battles dominate headlines, associating brands with political controversy.

Our take: Carr’s remarks blur the line between regulatory oversight and political retaliation. While legal experts say revoking licenses over satire would be difficult to justify, even the suggestion raises the stakes for broadcasters and advertisers.

Networks like Disney must weigh talent freedom against potential regulatory blowback—an uncomfortable balancing act that could reshape linear TV.

For marketers, this episode highlights how political pressures can spill into media buying decisions, making brand alignment with certain shows or personalities riskier. The bigger question is whether Carr’s threats remain rhetoric or signal a new era where federal regulators seek leverage over content.