Daytime Hosts Defend Free Speech After Late‑Night Suspension

Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show has been suspended after he made remarks about a recent killing. FCC chair Brendan Carr has urged broadcasters to take action and warned that the agency may pursue further work if networks do not respond. Some critics have said this pressure looks like government interference.

The hosts of The View have responded on air, and they have defended free speech. Whoopi Goldberg said, "No one silences us." ABC, which is owned by Disney, paused Kimmel's show while Nexstar and other local station groups preempted the program. Although some viewers were angry about Kimmel's comments, the hosts argued that government influence should not determine what appears on television.

The FCC's rules say broadcasters must serve the public interest, and the commission can review license renewals. President Trump has suggested that networks that give him bad publicity could lose licenses. Legal experts note the FCC's authority over content is limited, and proving "news distortion" requires strong evidence.