Inside Disney's abrupt decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel's show

Soon after Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr blasted late-night host Jimmy Kimmel on Wednesday over remarks related to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, executives at ABC and parent company Disney knew they had a big problem.

- Joe Flint, Suzanne Vranica & Isabella Simonetti

Kimmel, during his Monday show, had criticized how President Trump and some other Republicans were responding to Charlie Kirk's shooting. Carr suggested during a podcast appearance two days later that the FCC could take action against the broadcast licenses of ABC-owned stations.

Advertisers and affiliates soon called the network expressing concern about Kimmel’s show. Executives at Sinclair and Nexstar, owners of more than 60 local ABC stations, told network leaders after Carr’s remarks that they would “indefinitely preempt” the show starting that night, moves that would hobble the program's reach.

Kimmel had planned to address Carr’s comments on his show Wednesday night, according to people familiar with the matter. Before his on-air appearance, Dana Walden, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, spoke to the host about his plan, the people said.

After the conversation between Kimmel and Walden, she and other senior executives thought that the star's approach could make the situation worse, people familiar with their conversations said. Executives also discussed staff safety, including threatening emails staff on Kimmel’s show had received after Carr’s remarks and the posting of some of their personal information online, the people said.

Walden huddled with her team and Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger before the two executives decided to temporarily take “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air, the people said. She then informed Kimmel of the decision.

A person close to the show said that Kimmel was planning to say that his words were being purposefully twisted by some members of the Make America Great Again movement.