Richard Arnold: US Correspondent on Jimmy Kimmel's show being axed after his comments on the Charlie Kirk situation

The axing of Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show has sparked debate around freedom of speech. 

Kimmel has been pulled off air indefinitely by ABC over his comments relating to the Charlie Kirk killing. 

The late-night host suggested Kirk, who was shot at a Utah University last week, was killed by a pro-Trump Republican. 

US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking reactions are sharply partisan. 

He says that some, like former Fox host Geraldo Rivera, believe Kimmel’s statements were inappropriate and it’s wrong to overthink the suspension and make it about government, censorship, and other issues. 

But on the other side, Arnold says, is people like former President Barack Obama, who says cancel culture has been taken to a new and dangerous level. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Richard, good morning, Good morning, May. So what happened to
the conservative movements love of free speech?

Speaker 2 (00:06):
That is one of many, many, many questions in what
is story topping the news everywhere here except on American ABC,
the network that actually suspended the Jimmy Kimmel late night
comedy show and surprise surprise reactions here sharply, very sharply partisan.
Trump said before leaving London, Jimmy Kimmel was fired because
he had bad ratings, more than anything else, and he

(00:27):
said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as
Charlie Kirk. Well, no, Kimmel has not been fired as yet,
he suspended indefinitely. We'll see how that plays. And his
comments last Tuesday, your time is not about Charlie Kirk, say,
but about some Republicans exploiting the killing. Here again is
part of what kim said.

Speaker 3 (00:49):
Maggie Gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered
Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and
do everything they can to score political points from it.

Speaker 2 (00:59):
So this was right after the assassination, when some like Trump, Ainte,
Stephen Miller and Steve Bannenworth suggesting the country was in
a sort of war. Should Kimmel have said anything even
in that environment. No, it was inappropriate, says former Fox
host Heroldo Rivera.

Speaker 4 (01:14):
Jimmy Kimmel owes the family of Charlie Kirk and apology, and
it's wrong to overthink it and make it about government
and censorship and these other issues.

Speaker 2 (01:26):
Now, former President Obama is speaking out now saying this
is the mega win, embracing cancel culture, the point you
were making off the top there and the very thing
they slammed for years. He says, the Trump team is
taking it to a quote new and dangerous level. Trump
denies it. Here's a bit more of the story. The
Kimmel suspension came soon after the head of the FCC,
the Federal Communications body, Brendan Carr, said the Kimmel remarks

(01:49):
appear to be quote some of the sickest conduct possible.
That is far from a universal interpretation, said Car, though.

Speaker 5 (01:55):
I mean, look, we can do this the easy way
or the hard way. These companies can find ways to
change conduct, to take action frankly on Kimmel, or you know,
there's gonna be additional work for the FCC ahead.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
Two of the biggest owners of ABC affiliates, Next Star
in Sincla then said they would pull the Kimmel Show,
and soon after the ABC network, facing this, said they
would suspend Kimmeld. Now next Doar is trying to put
together a six point two billion US dollar acquisition of
a group called Tegner, and to do that they must
have the approval yes of the government, the FCC. This
recalls what happened when late night hosts Stephen Colbert on

(02:30):
CBS was sacked when the FCC approved the sale of
the network and other paramount properties to Skidance, which is
controlled by the family of the richest person in the world,
Larry Elson, pro Trump billionaire. That approval only came after
Trump was paid sixteen million dollars US for claiming that
the Sixteen Minutes TV show had wrongly edited an interview

(02:51):
with Kamala Harris. Most saw that trump legal claim as
pretty weak. CBS did modifight. They agreed to put in
a Trump supporter as well to monitor for future billet bias.
Than Just days ago, Larry Elson moved in on CNN
and HBO, seeking to become the biggest media magnet in
the US. Then after that came news about TikTok, the
Chinese owned app that was banned as a security risk.

(03:13):
But Trump just announcing a takeover deal which gives Americans
an eighty percent share in TikTok. Those Americans are Yes,
Larry Ellison, at another Trump, Dona, Marc Andreesen. So if
all this happens, Mike, the Murdoch family would control Fox News,
the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, while Twitter, TikTok, CBS,
CNN and more would be owned by the Ellison family

(03:34):
and the Washington Post owned by Jeff Bezos. It would
mark a considerable consolidation of media power in support of
the current US administration.

Speaker 1 (03:43):
Have a good week it, Mike, appreciate it, and do
not forget the name silver Lake. As I mentioned on
the program yesterday, as regards that TikTok investment, silver Lake
directly tied and of course with the New Zealand Rugby Union.

Speaker 2 (03:54):
For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to
news talks.

Speaker 3 (03:58):
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