Democrats tie $6B Nexstar-Tegna deal to Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension

Congressional Democrats, including U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, are tying ABC late night host Jimmy Kimmel’s indefinite suspension on Wednesday to the $6.2 billion Nexstar-Tegna acquisition, which must be approved by the Federal Communications Commission.

The veteran late-night comic made several remarks on Monday and Tuesday about the reaction to conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination, including saying that “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on” the fatal shooting. He said Trump’s political supporters were trying to characterize the man charged in the attack “as anything other than one of them.”

ABC, which has aired “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” since 2003, moved swiftly after Nexstar Communications Group said it would pull the show starting Wednesday. Kimmel’s comments about Kirk’s death were “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse,” said Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division.

Nexstar operates 28 ABC affiliates and is seeking to acquire Tysons-based Tegna, a $6.2 billion deal that the FCC must approve for it to move forward.

In an appearance on CNBC Thursday, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr cheered the moves by Nexstar and Sinclair, which also agreed to pull the show from its channels. On Wednesday he called Kimmel’s comments “truly sick” and said his agency has a strong case for holding Kimmel, ABC and network parent Walt Disney Co. accountable for spreading misinformation.

While the FCC does not have power over the television networks, it does have the authority to suspend the licenses of their individual stations in local markets.

President Donald Trump chimed in on the social media site Truth Social, writing, “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.” He previously cheered CBS’ decision to cancel Stephen Colbert’s late-night show, which the network said was for “financial reasons,” but has been subject to speculation connected to Paramount’s deal with Skydance, which was approved by the FCC shortly after Colbert’s cancellation.

Both Colbert and Kimmel have frequently criticized Trump and his administration, as has NBC host Seth Meyers.

“I absolutely love that Colbert got fired,” Trump said in July. “His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next.”

Virginia’s junior Democratic senator, Kaine posted on X on Thursday, “Trump and his friends talk a big game about free speech. But in reality, they only support their own freedom to say things they want or agree with.

“I’m disappointed to see Nexstar, ABC, and Disney execs kowtow to a vindictive administration instead of doing what’s right.”

“This appears to be driven by the network of stations who are part of that ABC network,” U.S. Sen. Mark Warner said Thursday in a media availability, noting that he had not watched the relevant televised clips of the Kimmel show. “I fear this could be a very dangerous path.”

Six Democratic House leaders, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, issued a statement calling for Carr to resign, accusing him of engaging “in the corrupt abuse of power. He has disgraced the office he holds by bullying ABC, the employer of Jimmy Kimmel, and forcing the company to bend the knee to the Trump administration.”

Both Disney and Nexstar have FCC business ahead of them. Disney is seeking regulatory approval for ESPN’s acquisition of the NFL Network, along with Nexstar’s Tegna deal.

The transaction, if approved, will bring together two major players in U.S. television and the country’s local news landscape. Nexstar oversees more than 200 owned and partner stations in 116 markets nationwide today and also runs networks like The CW and NewsNation. Meanwhile, Tegna, which was formed in 2015 when Gannett Co. spun off its broadcasting and digital business, owns 64 television news stations across 51 markets.

“The initiatives being pursued by the Trump administration offer local broadcasters the opportunity to expand reach, level the playing field, and compete more effectively with the Big Tech and legacy Big Media companies that have unchecked reach and vast financial resources,” Nexstar Chairman and CEO Perry Sook said in a statement in August. “We believe Tegna represents the best option for Nexstar to act on this opportunity.”

FCC Chair Carr has long advocated for loosening industry restrictions. On Aug. 7, the FCC announced that it would be repealing 98 broadcast rules and requirements that it identified as “obsolete, outdated, or unnecessary.”

Some of those rules date back nearly 50 years, the FCC said, and apply to “old technology that is no longer used.” Carr maintained that such provisions no longer serve public interest.

In late July, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit also vacated the FCC’s “top four” rule, which has long prohibited ownership of more than one of the top four stations in a single market. The ruling is still subject to a monthslong assessment by the FCC, but could significantly clear the way for future mergers in the industry.

In company earnings calls held in early August, before Tegna and Nexstar publicly confirmed merger talks, both Tegna CEO Michael Steib and Nexstar’s Sook pointed directly to this ruling, and applauded Carr’s deregulation agenda as a whole.

“We believe that deregulation is necessary, important and coming,” Steib said in Tegna’s Aug. 7 call, noting that local broadcasters are “up against big tech competitors who have absolutely no encumbrances in how they compete.”

Tegna and Nexstar did not immediately respond to requests for comment.