Web of Business Interests show that kimmels Future rests on much more than its jokes

New York (AP) -The decision on whether Jimmy Kimmel should hold on his ABC show in the late night depends on much more than his jokes. The choice is complicated by a web of business and regulatory considerations involving ABC’s parent company, other media companies and the Trump administration. It is the inevitable result of consolidation in the industry that has built huge businesses with wide interests over the years. ABC owner Walt Disney Co., a massive organization with distant operations, regularly seeks federal regulatory approval to expand, buy or sell or purchase licenses. And the Trump administration has not saved the company of investigations, and has opened multiple inquiries over the past few months to investigate possible antitrust, programming and rental offenses. Kimmel was expelled from his show this week following the comments indicating that fans of Charlie Kirk are trying to take advantage of the assassination of the conservative activist. Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, calls the remarks “truly sick” and suggests that his agency investigate it. Carr answers to President Donald Trump, who is already on record as not of Kimmel’s comedy. Two companies operating about a quarter of ABC subsidiaries nationwide, Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcasting, also said they won’t air Kimmel’s performance. Disney took a step in December last year to avoid a confrontation with Trump by paying $ 15 million to resolve the president’s defamation against ABC News and George Stephanopoulos. It also moved to dissolve some of its diversity, fairness and inclusion practices, including removing references in its annual report to its Reimagine Tomorrow program aimed at strengthening ‘under-represented votes’. It apparently wasn’t enough. In April, the FCC Bob Iger, a lightning letter from AA, sent Disney CEO, saying that he suspected that the company was so thoroughly ‘infected’ with ‘invasive’ practices that minorities prefer that it had no choice but to open an investigation. Among other things, the investigation tried to determine whether Disney really terminated policies designed to ensure characters in his performances and chose his rental practices to benefit “under -represented groups”. Meanwhile, a Disney agreement has signed in January to buy a stake in the Streaming Service FubOTV. It also examined several reports that the Justice Department had investigated possible antitrust offenses. The Federal Trade Commission also investigated whether Disney had violated rules by gathering personal information from children who watched his videos without consent of parents. Disney resolved the case earlier this month by paying $ 10 million and agreeing to change its practices. Disney also needs approval of the Trump administration for ESPN to complete the acquisition of the NFL network. It did not help that Disney was a target for many conservatives before the current controversy. Florida government, Ron Desantis, struggled with the company for the criticism of a Desantis Act that limited the discussion of sexual orientation in schools. Kirk was also not a fan, and criticized Disney when it closed Splash Mountain Rides at theme parks three years ago, because they were based on a 1946 film about the plantation life in the south. The move, which has posted its website, was “devastating for our cultural and societal material.” The companies with ABC stations that set out statements that reject Kimmel have their own business before the government. Nexstar needs the Trump administration’s approval to complete its $ 6.2 billion purchase. Sinclair has its own regulatory challenges. In June, it entered into an agreement with the FCC to solve problems with paperwork submitted to the agency and to fulfill rules on advertising on children’s shows and closed caption requirements. It also requested the regulator to relax rules that limit the broadcaster of stations. The businesses are asked by advocates and others to set aside their financial problems to stand up strongly for free speech. “Where did all the leadership go?” Ex-Disney CEO Michael Eisner wrote on social media on Friday. “If it does not stand up for university presidents, the law firm management of partners and managers of corporate heads with bullying, who will then act for the first amendment?” The attacks of the Kimmel administration have also been attacked in some unexpected places, such as Wall Street Journal and Bari Weiss website, The Free Press, both known for their conservative editorial votes. The comments of the comedian do not justify the right side of the regulatory censorship, the Journal wrote in an editors. “If the victims of canceling culture so long, conservatives more than anyone should resist,” the magazine wrote. “They will surely be the targets again if the left returns to power.” “If a network drops a high profile of talent after the chairman of the FCC makes a rare veiled threat, it’s no longer just a business decision,” the Free Press wrote in an editors. “This is coercion of the government. Is it now Trump administration policy to punish broadcasters for comedy that does not meet its politics? ‘