By Naman Trivedi
Copyright timesnownews
Brendan Carr, the current Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has become a central figure in the recent controversy leading to the indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC. The network decided to pull the popular late-night show following controversial remarks made by Kimmel about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was tragically shot while speaking at a Utah university last week. Carr publicly criticized Kimmel’s statements regarding Tyler Robinson, the accused shooter in the incident, suggesting that ABC’s broadcast license could be at risk if the network continued airing the show. His comments added significant pressure on ABC, especially as Nexstar Media Group, which owns numerous ABC-affiliated stations and is currently seeking FCC approval for a $6.2 billion merger with Tegna, announced it would preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! on its stations indefinitely, starting with the very next episode. Carr lauded Nexstar’s decision, posting on X, “I want to thank Nexstar for doing the right thing. Local broadcasters have an obligation to serve the public interest. While this may be an unprecedented decision, it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community values.” “I hope that other broadcasters follow Nexstar’s lead,” Carr concluded. Who Is Brendan Carr? Brendan Thomas Carr, born January 5, 1979, is an American lawyer and the current chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) since 2025. He joined the FCC in 2012, later serving as general counsel and commissioner. A Georgetown and Columbus School of Law graduate, Carr was nominated by President Trump in 2017 and focused on 5G and social media regulation. He became FCC chair after Trump’s 2024 inauguration and contributed to Project 2025 and The Heritage Foundation’s Mandate for Leadership. Jimmy Kimmel’s Comment On Charlie Kirk In his Monday night monologue, Jimmy Kimmel sharply criticized the response to conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s recent murder. He accused the “MAGA gang” of attempting to politicize the tragedy by distancing the accused shooter from their group, saying they “hit some new lows” trying to reshape the narrative. Kimmel also took aim at the half-staff flags honoring Kirk and mocked former President Donald Trump’s reaction to the shooting. He showed a clip of Trump dodging a question about mourning Kirk and instead talking about a new White House ballroom, commenting, “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he calls a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.” Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News and around the World.
