CAL THOMAS COMMENTARY SEPTEMBER 19, 2025
JIMMY KIMMEL’S LATE NIGHT SHOW ON ABC HAS BEEN CANCELLED AFTER A LARGE NUMBER OF AFFILIATES SAID THEY WOULD NO LONGER CARRY HIM BECAUSE OF CRUDE REMARKS HE MADE ABOUT CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION.
KIMMEL, LIKE STEPHEN COLBERT, WHOSE SHOW WAS CANCELLED BY CBS, IS OUTRAGED, SCREAMING OBSCENITIES AND CLAIMING, ALONG WITH OTHER LEFTISTS, THAT HIS FREE SPEECH RIGHTS HAVE BEEN HARMED.
NO THEY HAVEN’T. HE’S FREE TO SPEAK ANYWHERE HE LIKES, BUT NOT ANYMORE ON ABC. THAT NETWORK, ALONG WITH EVERY OTHER NETWORK, MEDIA COMPANY AND BUSINESS GETS TO DECIDE WHO APPEARS. THERE IS NO RIGHT TO HAVE A SHOW.
I APPEARED ON FOX NEWS FOR 19 YEARS, TWO OF WHICH INCLUDED MY OWN SHOW. WHEN FOX DECIDED THEY NO LONGER WANTED OR NEEDED ME, I DIDN’T COMPLAIN. IN FACT, ON MY LAST SHOW I SAID, “IT’S THEIR NETWORK AND THEY GET TO DECIDE WHO THEY WANT AND DON’T WANT.”
THERE IS HARDLY A LIMIT TO LIBERAL IDEOLOGY IN THE MEDIA SO KIMMEL’S DEPARTURE WON’T ELIMINATE LEFTISM AND SOCIALISM. BESIDES, HE WASN’T REALLY FUNNY. WATCH FOX NEWS SUNDAY THIS WEEKEND WHEN I HOPE TO EXPAND ON THIS. I’M CAL THOMAS.
Could you kindly explain why both Rand Paul and Ted Cruz weighed in with protests? It is one thing for ABC or Fox to decide based entirely in internal considerations. However to do so based on external duress is something different. When something overrides Cruz’s obvious hatred for Kimmel, you need to at least account for that.
I think Cruz explained himself well. If a Republican head of the FCC can do this to speech he doesn’t like, wjat’s to prevent a Democrat chair from doing the same?I know, you will probably say they will do it anyway, but the Republicans will have the more powerful argument against it if they don[t do it. Besides, the market is deciding and ratings are blow. I never watched Kimmel before the incident. Thanks for writing.