Recommendations of the Editorial team
A leading representative of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) criticizes Disney’s decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmels Late Night Show under “Government Printing”. Anna Gomez speaks of a violation of the first constitutional addition and a danger to freedom of expression.
Disney bends a
Gomez is one of two commissioners under chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump confidante. Carr uses the authority openly to form the media landscape according to Maga-Line. Gomez, nominated by Joe Biden, repeatedly accuses him of “suppressing lawful expression with the weight of state power”.
On Wednesday, Carr fueled an uprising among ABC partners with threats to deprive transmission revolves. Large broadcasting corporations explained, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” to be discontinued. Disney, parent company of ABC, followed up and stopped the show indefinitely.
Kimmel’s “offense”: jokes after the murder of Charlie Kirk. He accused the “Maga gang” to distance himself from the alleged perpetrator, but at the same time want to keep political capital out of the crime. He also mocked Trump for his insensitive reaction and showed a clip in which the president immediately went over to construction plans for a new ballroom in the White House.
“Dangerous surrender”
Gomez accused the Trump government to “take an unfortunate joke of a comedian as an excuse to punish unpopular speech”. Her criticism still met Disney: the buckling is “a shameful form of clever surrender” and endangers the basis of the first constitutional addition.
“When corporations give in, they not only endanger themselves, but the right to freedom of expression for everyone,” she wrote. The defense of freedom of speech is “not only with the government, but with all of us”.
Legally ineffective, politically dangerous
Carr’s threat is legally “toothless”, emphasized Gomez. The FCC should not censor content and no licenses due to unpleasant opinions – this would fail in court. However, broadcasters are dependent on licenses, and the saber rattling is already under pressure to meet the government’s ideological wishes.
Meanwhile, Trump welcomed the development. He had previously celebrated the end of Stephen Colbert’s show and now said that Kimmel was the next. On Air Force One, he said that the late night shows were “97 percent against me” and had to be “punished” for it. Whether transmitter licenses would be withdrawn is at Carr.
Fight for freedom of expression
On X, Gomez emphasized that violence against Kirk is abused “as an excuse for further censorship”. Kimmel’s jokes are “neither illegal nor reason enough that companies bend in front of this government”.
Her appeal: “We have to resist any form of intimidation that critics and satirists are supposed to silence.