A comedian makes social commentary. A government official threatens action. A network pulls the plug. This isn’t a story from Moscow or Beijing—it’s what just happened to Jimmy Kimmel, right here in the United States.
ABC took Kimmel off the air after Brendan Carr, chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), floated the idea that the network could be punished for Kimmel’s remarks. Carr, on a conservative podcast, said Kimmel’s comments were part of a “concerted effort to lie to the American people.” Hours later, ABC folded. The Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC, put keeping a regulator happy ahead of protecting free speech.
This kind of quick surrender should set off alarms for anyone who cares about open debate and free speech.
When government threats can silence comedians, we cross a line that the First Amendment was built to stop. The First Amendment, which protects free speech, exists to keep government intimidation out of the public square.
But the story doesn’t stop there.
Nexstar, which owns local TV stations across the country, joined in. Nexstar announced it would drop Kimmel’s show from its ABC-affiliated stations. Why would Nexstar back government censorship? The answer is simple: money.
Nexstar wants to merge with Tegna, another big media company. That deal needs the FCC’s sign-off. By pulling Kimmel, Nexstar sent a clear signal to Carr: We’ll play ball if you approve our merger. This is what happens when regulatory power warps the market for ideas.
Let’s break this down.
A comedian is commenting on the state of affairs. A government official doesn’t like them. Companies that need government approval silence the comedian. This chain of events would fit right in with strongman politics overseas. It should outrage Americans.
The danger here is bigger than any one show.
If the FCC can shut down speech it doesn’t like, who draws the line? Today it’s Kimmel. Tomorrow it could be any journalist, commentator, or critic. When we let government officials punish speech they dislike, we lose what makes America different from less free countries.
Business leaders should take note. Companies that bow to pressure on speech turn into tools for censorship. They trade their backbone for a shot at regulatory favors. This kind of deal poisons both business and democracy.
Look at the timing. Carr speaks. Companies scramble. Shows vanish. This isn’t how free markets or free speech work. This is fear in action. When business decisions turn on regulatory threats, not audience choice or company values, the market breaks down.
We’ve seen this before in other countries. Officials target critics. Businesses fall in line to protect deals or licenses. Independent voices go quiet. Democracy weakens. America is supposed to be different. The Constitution is supposed to stop this. Yet we’re watching it play out.
The answer is simple, but not easy: courage.
Media companies must stand up to regulatory threats. Business leaders must call out government censorship, even if it’s risky. Citizens must demand that regulators focus on their real jobs, not policing late-night jokes. Most of all, we must protect the speech we dislike, not just the speech we agree with.
Once government gets to decide which jokes are allowed, we’ve already lost the bigger fight for freedom.
-Marc
