Jimmy Kimmel was not fired because ABC was threatened with censorship. He was fired because his presence threatens to cost ABC a fortune.
Censorship: The changing or the suppression or prohibition of speech or writing that is deemed subversive of the common good. It occurs in all manifestations of authority to some degree, but in modern times it has been of special importance in its relation to government and the rule of law.
I’ve enjoyed the screeching of the usual subjects over the “censorship” of Jimmy Kimmel. After he made some disgusting comments on Charlie Kirk assassination, reactions immediately followed and his boss, ABC “indefinitely suspended” his show. But was this censorship? No, it was not. It was the market responding to the customer.
The 1st Amendment to the US Constitution starts with five beautiful words, Congress shall make no law… Congress, nor any government agency acted against Kimmel or ABC. But a good part of ABC affiliates did take objection to Mr. Kimmel comments and were willing to take their money with them.
The day after Mr. Kimmel’s remarks, two media companies, Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group, announced they were not broadcasting his show. To put this into perspective, Nexstar operates 28 ABC affiliates nationwide, while Sinclair operates 38. In other words, those two companies control 27.5% of ABC’s TV stations nationwide. When they talk, ABC listens.
Is this the only issue? No. Jimmy Kimmel has been shredding viewers for years. Since his premiere in January 2003, his ratings have declined as he has consistently insulted his audience and gone from comedy on current events to leftist lecture. “In 2022 he told the Naked Lunch podcast he lost half of his fan base over his treatment of Trump, and he was OK with that.”
The Jimmy Kemmel Show has dropped from a nightly average of 1.589 million (289,000 18-49 demographic) to 1.1 million (129,000 18-49 demographic) before he was suspended. From January to August 2025, his viewership dropped 43%. In comparison, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson averaged 9 million viewers a night, and the last week he was on the air Carson got 18 million Americans to give up their sleep.
Also Jimmy Kimmel’s reported 15-million-dollar contract was coming up after the 2025-2026 season, and he is in a dying industry. He should remember Stephen Colbert was cancelled mainly for financial reasons. Colber’s salary was 20 million dollars, with 200 staffers, plus a band. CBS was putting out over 100 million a year to lose 40 million. And criticizing the people who sign your checks is never a good idea there Stephen.
Late night comedy is dying because it forgot what it is there for. Johnny Carson, the King of Late Night always remembered he was not there to discuss serious issues, but to entertain the audience. From an interview on 60 Minutes in 1979, Carson explains why you shouldn’t take yourself too seriously:
Now, tell me the last time that Jack Benny, Red Skelton, any comedian, used his show to do serious issues. That’s not what I’m there for. Can’t they see that? Why do they think that just because you have a Tonight Show, that you must deal in serious issues?
That’s a danger. It’s a real danger. Once you start that, you start to get that self-important feeling that what you say has great import. And you know, strangely enough, you could use that show as a forum. You could sway people. And I don’t think you should as an entertainer.
A reviewer of The Tonight Show made the point Johnny was competing against something we all need, sleep. But he entertained enough that people were willing to be tired at work to watch his show. Which brings the other point Jimmy Kimmel is missing.
The late Rush Limbaugh would occasionally explain what his job was, “To attract a large enough audience to charge confiscatory ad rates.” He knew his show was there to sell advertising for his show and his affiliates. So was The Tonight Show. And The Late Show with David Letterman. Remember, this is a business. If you destroy the business model, you won’t make the money you (and your bosses) need to succeed.
So yes, Jimmy Kimmel was cut because he was costing ABC and the affiliates too much. Sinclair and Nexstar can fill that time slot with something local that will draw an audience and not have to share the revenue with ABC corporate. If they do it, how many other affiliates will also say goodbye to Kimmel, or whatever replaces him?
Reportedly Kimmel and ABC are in negotiations for him to return. I don’t see that happening unless Kimmel makes two major concessions. One, he takes a significant pay cut to help their bottom line. Two, he shuts up about politics and goes back to entertaining (he is a talented comedian). But Kimmel thinks far too much of himself to remember what brought him up.
Jimmy, you’re not being censored by Donald Trump or any other government agency. The market is throwing you off because you are not doing what they are paying for. Remember Jimmy, you’re only there while we buy what you’re selling. And we ain’t buying.
Michael A. Thiac is a retired Army intelligence officer, with over 23 years experience, including serving in the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the Middle East. He is also a retired police patrol sergeant, with over 22 years’ service, and over ten year’s experience in field training of newly assigned officers. He has been published at The American Thinker, PoliceOne.com, and on his personal blog, A Cop’s Watch.
Opinions expressed are his alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of current or former employers.
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