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Some of the sickest conduct possible. The line landed as a raw condemnation this week and immediately reshaped late-night TV on Sept. 17, 2025. Why it matters now: the remark preceded rapid preemptions by major affiliates and an unprecedented network pause, compressing weeks of debate into one day. Concrete fact: Nexstar pulled the show from 32 ABC stations and ABC announced an indefinite preemption. My quick take: this is less about a joke and more about who gets to police broadcast standards. What should viewers expect next?
What the controversial line did to late-night broadcast schedules this week
The host’s Sept. 15 monologue triggered local preemptions across 32 Nexstar ABC stations.
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ABC announced the show will be preempted indefinitely, removing tonight’s broadcast.
The FCC chair condemned the line on Sept. 17, 2025, increasing regulatory pressure.
Why that one short quote became a broadcasters’ flashpoint in 2025
The phrase cut through political noise and turned a monologue into an operational crisis for networks. Within hours, station groups and corporate schedulers faced calls to act; if you watch late-night, you suddenly saw decisions that usually take weeks happen in a single evening. This moment reframes debates about host accountability and affiliate leverage – and it asks viewers whether politics now decides nightly lineups.
Who is pushing networks to pull shows and why this week?
Opinions split along predictable lines: some local owners framed the move as community protection, while advocates for free expression called it censorship. Network executives say advertiser and affiliate risk drove fast choices. If you care about late-night, ask: do community standards or corporate continuity win when pressure spikes? Short answer: both forces are testing each other right now.
Which figures show how fast the fallout spread in 2025
Metric: Affiliates preempting | Value + Unit: 32 stations | Change/Impact: Nexstar pulled shows across major ABC markets
Network status: ABC | Announced indefinite preemption of the late-night slot
Regulatory signal: FCC statement (Sept. 17, 2025) | Chair publicly criticized the remarks, raising threats
The cascade compressed weeks of late-night debate into a single day of decisive action.
What the debates and statements reveal about rules, risks and ratings
Beyond headlines, the practical risk to networks is clear: affiliates can exert immediate local control, and regulators can amplify pressure. That mix changes bargaining power in TV deals and could force faster content reviews. If you follow TV contracts or advertising, expect new clauses and faster crisis playbooks.
Who spoke the words – and why this speaker’s voice escalated the crisis
The line came from Brendan Carr, Chair of the Federal Communications Commission. “Some of the sickest conduct possible,” said Brendan Carr on a public podcast this week, and his condemnation was repeated by station owners. Carr’s role makes the remark consequential because the FCC can influence licensing debates and public scrutiny of broadcasters. That institutional weight turned a critique into a market-moving signal.
What will this mean for late-night hosts, affiliates and 2025 broadcast rules?
Expect rapid contract and content reviews, more aggressive affiliate preemption clauses, and a tougher public appetite for on-air provocation. Networks may require clearer editorial sign-offs; hosts may get scripted guardrails. Will viewers get a less spontaneous late-night TV in exchange for fewer outrage cycles?
Sources
- https://deadline.com/2025/09/jimmy-kimmel-live-off-abc-charlie-kirk-comments-1236547397/
- https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/17/business/media/abc-jimmy-kimmel.html
- https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/jimmy-kimmel-pulled-reactions-slam-abc-1236522676/
Jessica Morrison is a seasoned entertainment writer with over a decade of experience covering television, film, and pop culture. After earning a degree in journalism from New York University, she worked as a freelance writer for various entertainment magazines before joining red94.net. Her expertise lies in analyzing television series, from groundbreaking dramas to light-hearted comedies, and she often provides in-depth reviews and industry insights. Outside of writing, Jessica is an avid film buff and enjoys discovering new indie movies at local festivals.