The co-hosts of The View did not mention their fellow ABC star Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension from the network, after it was announced a day earlier on Sept. 17.
Whoopi Goldgerg, Sara Haines, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, and Alyssa Farah Griffin ignored the developments at their company and instead opened Thursday’s live broadcast with a celebration of Haines’ “sexy dress” on her birthday.
“Before we do anything, it’s Sara’s birthday!” Goldberg, an outspoken Democrat, said when the co-hosts took their seats, with Farah Griffin commenting on Haines’ “sexy dress” in her birthday photo.
The rest of the episode carried on without any mention of Kimmel or the Jimmy Kimmel Live! network suspension.
The co-hosts covered recent stories about FBI director Kash Patel, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., romantic couples breaking up, and interviewed Schitt’s Creek alum Eugene Levy.
Late on Wednesday, Sept. 17, ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air “indefinitely,” hours after the head of the FCC suggested ABC’s broadcast license would be in trouble for Kimmel’s comments about Charlie Kirk, which came during Kimmel’s opening monologue for Monday night’s show.
In his remarks, the talk show host suggested that Tyler Robinson, the man accused of fatally shooting Kirk at his Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University on September 10, was “one of” President Donald Trump’s MAGA — Make America Great Again — movement.
“The MAGA Gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said, before adding, “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”
“Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely,” an ABC spokesman announced Wednesday night, which came shortly after Nexstar Media Group said its company-owned and “partner television stations affiliated with the ABC Television Network will preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! for the foreseeable future beginning with tonight’s show.”
Hours earlier, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said Kimmel’s comments were “truly sick,” and explained that networks must have a license to broadcast granted by the FCC.
“This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney. We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said on Benny Johnson’s podcast. “These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
“They have a license granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it, an obligation to operate in the public interest,” adding, “When we see stuff like this, look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.
“These companies can find ways to change conduct, on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.
“Calls for Kimmel to be fired – I think, you could certainly see a path forward for a suspension over this,” Carr added. “You know, the FCC is going to have remedies.”
He called for ABC to take immediate action against Kimmel.
Carr explained, “Disney needs to see some change here, but the individual licensed stations that are taking their content, it’s time for them to step up and say this, you know, garbage to the extent that that’s what comes down the pipe in the future isn’t something that we think serves the needs of our local communities.
“But this sort of status quo is obviously not acceptable where we are.”
Donald Trump has also commented on the situation, writing on Truth Social, “Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.
“Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!! President DJT.”
