The Jimmy Kimmel Live late night TV show was “suspended indefinitely” according to ABC, the network which aired the show. This is reportedly due to some things he said recently in the wake of the Charlie Kirk assassination. Some people believe that is just an excuse to get rid of a ratings anchor that has been dragging the network down, and some believe it was a sincere reaction to the horrific things he said. Still others believe it was because of pressure from the FCC chairman. Whatever the real reason, there is a predictable and ironic outcry from the speech police calling this a violation of First Amendment free speech.

I have no intention of discussing what Kimmel said, just if his being removed from the air is a violation of his rights. I hold that it is not, and I will explain. ABC is a private company and therefore has a right to control what is aired on their network, to a point. That point is where the FCC comes in. Unlike CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News, ABC is a broadcast network. As such they are using public airways to broadcast which requires a license. To acquire a broadcast license, they must agree to serve the public interest.

It never serves the public interest to lie to the public, which is what Kimmel was doing. This was not an opinion or a mistake; it was an outright lie. It was also a lie that could easily stir up discord in the public, also not in the public interest. So, even if Kimmel’s removal was due to pressure from the FCC, and not the conscience of the ABC management, or a purely financial decision disguised as a moral one, this is not a violation of his rights. He was being paid to speak and his employer, for whatever reason, no longer wishes to do so.

Kimmel is free to go out and tell his vitriolic lies to whomever will listen, but he has no constitutional right to be paid for it, or have it broadcast to the public.

PAUL RINKER

Montoursville

Submitted by Virtual Newsroom