Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Jimmy Kimmel Live! was not permanently canceled in September 2025. ABC announced an indefinite preemption and a brief production suspension after Jimmy Kimmel’s comments about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk; Disney said days later that the show would return. Some ABC affiliate groups kept preempting it after that announcement, before later ending their preemptions. The episode became a dispute over free expression, broadcast governance and the relationship between a network and its local affiliates.
Why did ABC suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live!?
On September 17, 2025, ABC said Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be preempted indefinitely after Kimmel made comments about Charlie Kirk’s death. ABC News reported that FCC Chair Brendan Carr had called for Kimmel’s suspension before ABC announced its decision. That sequence is part of the public record; it does not, by itself, establish that Carr directed ABC to act. ABC News’s September 17 report.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Jimmy Kimmel Live Poster 27x40 Jimmy Kimmel Dicky Barrett Frank Potenza | $21.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Third Eye Blind - Live at Red Rocks | $12.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Martin Lawrence: You So Crazy | Buy on Amazon |
“Indefinitely” described the preemption announced at that moment, not a permanent cancellation. Disney, ABC’s parent company, said on September 22 that it had suspended production to avoid further inflaming a tense situation and because it considered some comments “ill-timed and thus insensitive.” Disney said it had held conversations with Kimmel and decided to bring the show back Tuesday, September 23. Disney’s announcement, reported by ABC News.
When did the show return, and what happened at ABC affiliates?
Disney’s September 22 announcement restored the program’s production and scheduled its return for the following night. That decision did not immediately settle what viewers would see on every local ABC station: affiliate groups make their own carriage decisions, and Nexstar and Sinclair continued preempting the show after ABC reinstated it.
#1 Best Overall
- Approx. Size: 27 x 40 Inches - 69cm x 102cm
- Size is provided by the manufacturer and may not be exact
- The Amazon image in this listing is a digital scan of the poster that you will receive
- Jimmy Kimmel Live Style A 27 x 40 Inches Poster
- Packaged with care and shipped in sturdy reinforced packing material
Sinclair announced on September 26 that it would end its preemption and return the program to its ABC affiliates that evening. ABC News reported that Nexstar also announced the end of its preemption. These announcements establish that the groups reversed course, but not a complete, market-by-market timeline for when every station resumed airing the program. Sinclair’s statement; ABC News report on the affiliate decisions.
How did unions, civil-liberties groups and viewers respond?
Entertainment union criticism
SAG-AFTRA condemned the suspension on September 17. The union said, “Our society depends on freedom of expression” and “Democracy thrives when diverse points of view are expressed.” It characterized the suspension as suppression and retaliation that endangered those freedoms. Those are the union’s arguments, not a legal finding about ABC’s motives. SAG-AFTRA’s statement.
Artists’ letter and public support
The ACLU said more than 475 actors, comedians, directors, musicians and writers joined an open letter opposing the suspension. It also reported that more than 40,000 people added their names in solidarity within a few hours on September 22, before ABC announced Kimmel’s return. Those are counts reported by the ACLU, not an independent census of supporters or protest participants. ACLU statement.
Protests, subscriptions and divided reactions
The Associated Press reported that free-speech advocates protested and that many consumers canceled Disney service subscriptions during the suspension. It also described divided reactions to Kimmel’s return and concerns voiced by people in the industry. The available reporting does not give a comprehensive count of protest attendance or an independent measure of subscription cancellations; the ACLU’s signer figures should not be mistaken for either. Associated Press report.
Recommended Free Tools
Sinclair said that, in the week after the suspension, it received feedback from viewers, advertisers and community leaders, and referred to a shooting at an ABC affiliate in Sacramento. That is Sinclair’s account of the considerations it cited; it does not establish why each person or group gave feedback or acted. Sinclair’s statement.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does the dispute show about networks and local affiliates?
ABC’s decision to preempt the program and the affiliate groups’ decisions about whether to carry it were separate actions. Disney’s return announcement restored the show at the network level, but did not instantly end the affiliate preemptions. The sequence illustrates why a national network’s programming decision does not necessarily dictate what every locally operated or affiliated station airs.
Rank #3
The competing responses also involved different forms of action: the network suspended and then restored production; affiliate groups preempted and later resumed carriage; SAG-AFTRA and civil-liberties advocates issued statements and organized public support; and some consumers canceled subscriptions, according to AP. The resulting argument was about more than a comedian’s remarks: it raised questions about editorial judgment, pressure on broadcasters, free expression and the limits of network and affiliate authority.
What happened in the later FCC dispute?
In September 2026, Kimmel said the FCC had threatened him, the show, ABC and affiliates over the decision to interview Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. Kimmel said the interview would appear on his YouTube channel rather than in the broadcast. The Washington Post reported that he did not specify what pressure or legal basis the FCC had cited. AP also reported Kimmel’s statement and FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez’s criticism. These reports document Kimmel’s allegation and the ensuing dispute; they do not establish an adjudicated finding about the FCC’s conduct or the legal basis for any pressure. The Washington Post report; Associated Press report.
The 2026 episode is distinct from the 2025 suspension and affiliate preemptions, but it shows that questions about political content and regulatory pressure involving the program remained active in the later reporting.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
