The View's Silent Treatment: Where Was the Talk on Kimmel's ABC Ouster?
The co-hosts of The View noticeably refrained from discussing ABC's decision to remove Jimmy Kimmel Live! from its schedule, a move prompted by the host's remarks regarding the demise of the contentious commentator, Charlie Kirk.
Neither Jimmy Kimmel's temporary removal nor the ensuing uproar in the entertainment industry was addressed on the two installments of The View broadcast following ABC's confirmation to Us Weekly on Wednesday, September 17, that “Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be indefinitely postponed.” The broadcast on Friday, September 19, had been recorded beforehand, earlier in the week, offering a potential reason for the subject's omission.
Us Weekly has obtained exclusive information indicating that ABC did not issue any instructions to The View prohibiting them from addressing the matter during their live broadcasts.
On Thursday, September 18, the presenters of The View commenced their program by honoring cohost Sara Haines' 48th birthday, then transitioned to other “Hot Topics,” including the testimony given by FBI Director Kash Patel to the House Judiciary Committee the day prior. The week concluded for The View with the pre-recorded Friday episode, featuring an animated discussion about former Vice President Kamala Harris' upcoming autobiography and an interview segment with actress Lily James.
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During her introduction of comedian Andy Huggins on Friday, Joy Behar briefly alluded to the charged political climate, confessing that she had “never been more in need of humor than in recent months.”
Us has sought a statement from ABC.
The panelists of The View were undeniably placed in an uncomfortable predicament when Kimmel was sidelined, given that their daily program is also broadcast on Disney-owned ABC. Brendan Carr, who chairs the Federal Communications Commission, applauded Kimmel's removal from broadcast and hinted that The View might be next to face consequences due to its critique of President Donald Trump.
“Regarding these other television programs, it's noteworthy that the FCC enforces a regulation known as the equal opportunity rule,” Carr, 46, stated during his appearance on The Scott Jennings Radio Show on Thursday. “However, there exists an exemption to this rule, termed the ‘bona fide news exception,’ implying that a genuine news program is not obligated to adhere to the equal opportunity regulation.”
Carr subsequently asserted, “Throughout the years, the FCC has established a collection of legal precedents on this matter and has indicated that the majority of these late-night broadcasts, excluding SNL, qualify as ‘bona fide news programs.’ And hypothetically, I suppose one could contend that The View is a legitimate news program, but I have my doubts, and I believe it's prudent for the FCC to investigate whether The View and similar shows you mentioned still meet the criteria for bona fide news programs, thus making them exempt from the equal opportunity framework enacted by Congress.”
This recent dispute originated from a segment of Kimmel’s late-night monologue on Monday, September 15, in which he discussed conservative responses following the arrest of 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who is accused of shooting right-wing political analyst Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on September 10.
Robinson has not yet formally responded to charges including a capital offense of aggravated murder, felony firearm discharge, and additional lesser charges like obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and committing a violent act in the presence of a minor. The individual suspected of the shooting will stay incarcerated at Utah County Jail without bond, at least until a waiver hearing scheduled for Monday, September 29.
On Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday, as he alluded to Robinson’s apprehension, Kimmel informed his audience: “The MAGA faction [is] frantically attempting to portray this young man who assassinated Charlie Kirk as distinct from their own, while simultaneously exploiting the situation for political gain. Amidst all the blame, there was also sorrow.”
Following these remarks, two of the country's major television broadcasters, Nexstar Media and Sinclair Broadcast Group, declined to continue carrying Jimmy Kimmel Live!, leading ABC to eventually confirm on Wednesday that the late-night comedy program would be removed from broadcast "indefinitely."
A Look Back at Jimmy Kimmel's Initial Response to Charlie Kirk's Demise
ABC's choice to sideline Kimmel has drawn extensive criticism from his fellow late-night hosts and even prompted boycott threats against Disney from numerous Hollywood celebrities. Kimmel has not yet publicly addressed his suspension, though venerable late-night personality David Letterman affirmed that he had communicated with the controversial comedian.
“Jimmy reached out to me. He kindly sent me a text message this morning,” Letterman, 78, informed a live audience at the Atlantic Festival in New York City on Thursday. “He's recuperating in bed, taking sustenance. He will recover.”
Letterman subsequently cautioned, “In a world ruled by an authoritarian, or perhaps a dictatorship, eventually everyone will be affected. Yet, here I am, after three decades of doing this professionally. I find this disheartening, as we all perceive the direction this is heading, don't we? It represents controlled media, and that's detrimental. It's absurd. It's ludicrous. One cannot simply dismiss someone from their position out of fear or an attempt to curry favor with an authoritarian, criminal administration residing in the Oval Office. That's fundamentally not how things operate.”
The View is broadcast from Monday to Friday on ABC.
