Kimmel’s exit reflects collapse of politicized late-night TV: Joe Concha
The article discusses the recent suspension of *jimmy Kimmel Live!* from several ABC affiliate stations, following controversial comments made by host jimmy Kimmel regarding the shooting of conservative activist Charlie kirk.Senior writer Joe Concha from the *Washington Examiner* frames this development as part of a broader shake-up and market correction in late-night television, which has been struggling financially and politically polarized.
Concha points out that shows like Stephen Colbert’s *The Late Show* and Kimmel’s program have become costly liabilities, losing tens of millions of dollars annually. He argues that the political bias of these shows alienates a large portion of the audience,contributing too their decline. Kimmel sparked outrage by falsely accusing right-wing supporters of trying to distance themselves from Kirk’s killer and suggesting political motivations tied to the Right, a claim Concha calls a deliberate falsehood.
As a result,major TV station operators Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group-both owning numerous ABC affiliates-have suspended the show indefinitely,demanding an apology from Kimmel and even planning to air a special about Kirk during its time slot. Concha emphasizes that these moves are economically driven rather than ideological,focusing on accountability and consequences for spreading misinformation,and possibly signaling a return to more balanced entertainment in late-night TV.
Kimmel’s exit reflects collapse of politicized late-night TV: Joe Concha
Washington Examiner Senior Writer Joe Concha weighed in on Jimmy Kimmel Live! being pulled from the air and the broader shake-up in late-night TV, framing the developments as a long-overdue moment of accountability and market correction.
“Colbert was losing $40 to $50 million per year,” Concha said Wednesday on Fox News’s Hannity. “Kimmel is actually behind him in third place, losing probably about the same amount of money.”
Concha argued that shows such as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel Live! have become financial liabilities, hemorrhaging tens of millions of dollars annually while alienating half the country with overt political bias.
“The days are over when you can just go on national television and make up any crap you want… and not expect consequences,” he said, citing a recent monologue in which late-night host Jimmy Kimmel falsely characterized the high-profile shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Kimmel’s comments, in which he suggested that those on the Right were “desperately” trying to distance themselves from the political motivations of Kirk’s killer, ignited a firestorm.
“The MAGA gang is desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said on his Monday show.
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Concha specifically condemned Kimmel’s comments on Kirk’s death, accusing the comedian of spreading false narratives by labeling the perpetrator as a Trump supporter.
“He knew he was lying when he did this,” Concha said. “It’s finally good to see that accountability is back in style. More importantly, maybe entertainment is back in style.”
Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group — two of the largest local TV station operators in the United States — have suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! from their ABC-affiliate stations indefinitely, citing outrage over Kimmel’s recent on-air remarks about Kirk.
Sinclair, known for its conservative-leaning programming and influence across numerous ABC affiliate stations, was the first to take action, calling on ABC to hold Kimmel accountable. Nexstar, which owns and operates a wide network of local stations, has since followed suit, joining Sinclair in pressuring the network to respond.
While Sinclair and Nexstar own several ABC affiliates, ABC is owned by the Walt Disney Company.
Sinclair demanded that Kimmel apologize to Kirk’s family. Additionally, Sinclair announced plans to air a special program this Friday about Kirk during the time slot typically reserved for Kimmel’s show.
The coordinated response from the broadcasting groups marks a significant escalation in the backlash surrounding the late-night host’s comments.
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Concha argued that these decisions by networks and affiliates to drop or distance themselves from shows such as Kimmel’s are based on economics, not ideology.
“They’re not doing this out of ideological reasons. They’re doing it because they don’t like losing money anymore, and [Kimmel] is such a PR headache that he’s not worth saving,” he said.
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