Stewart skewers cancellation theatrics and warns of media consolidation and regulatory pressure as ABC reverses Kimmel’s suspension.
Jon Stewart on Friday weighed in after ABC announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would resume production following a short suspension, using the moment to skewer the outrage, media maneuvering and corporate pressure that led to the pause.
ABC said the show would return after “thoughtful conversations” with Kimmel and that a new episode would air the following day. The network framed the earlier suspension as an effort “to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country,” calling certain comments made by Kimmel “ill-timed and thus insensitive.”
The decision to resume came after internal discussions between the comedian and network executives.
The controversy began after Kimmel’s September 15 monologue, in which he addressed the Sept. 10 fatal shooting of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk. Kimmel offered condolences while condemning attempts to politicize the tragedy.
Two days later, ABC announced the show would be put on pause, a move that came amid mounting pressure from affiliates and conservative critics.
Nexstar Media, which owns more than 200 television stations, announced that it would preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! “for the foreseeable future” on its ABC-affiliated stations, saying it strongly objected to Kimmel’s comments.
Nexstar’s public stance drew attention because the company recently announced plans to acquire rival broadcaster Tegna in a multibillion-dollar deal that would dramatically increase its reach — a merger that requires FCC approval.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr publicly praised Nexstar’s action, framing it as broadcasters defending “community values.”
On The Daily Show, Stewart mocked the outrage and the performative cancellation campaigns springing up online. Joking that “Jimmy Kimmel’s flying high like Advil today,” Stewart ribbed viewers who proclaimed they would cancel Disney+ and Hulu while continuing to watch shows on those platforms.
He also highlighted the omnipresence of large media conglomerates, wryly noting how consumers’ lives are entwined with corporate brands.
Stewart went further in a satirical segment that reimagined what a “government-approved” late-night program might resemble, lampooning the idea that entertainers’ careers can be judged by a political “talent-o-meter.”
He argued the episode exposed broader concerns about regulatory pressure, media consolidation and political influence converging to influence programming decisions.
The quick reversal by ABC and the fierce public back-and-forth underscore how quickly cultural disputes can escalate, especially when amplified by major affiliate groups and federal regulators.
For now, Kimmel is back on the air — and the debate over limits of satire, corporate clout and political pressure shows no sign of cooling.
