John Oliver Criticizes Disney, Nexstar over Jimmy Kimmel Suspension Amid FCC Pressure

John Oliver vehemently criticized Disney-owned ABC's decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel's show following Kimmel's comments on the shooting death of Charlie Kirk, framing the suspension as a capitulation to government and FCC pressure. Oliver highlighted the broader context of political intimidation, likening the Trump administration to a schoolyard bully whose demands should not be met with compliance, and urged Disney CEO Bob Iger to resist these pressures. He also pointed out the role of media companies like Nexstar, which threatened to preempt Kimmel's show to curry favor with regulators amid ownership consolidation efforts. Oliver called for viewers to protest by canceling Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions, framing this as a stand against censorship. He underscored that Kimmel's remarks were mischaracterized and that the suspension was a weak pretext to silence dissenting voices on politically sensitive issues. Throughout his critique, Oliver connected the situation to broader themes of corporate cowardice, government overreach, and the erosion of independent political comedy on television.