FCC chairman Brendan Carr has ‘no regrets’ about Jimmy Kimmel’s heated debate last year.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr says he has “no regrets” about his involvement in the Jimmy Kimmel saga that broke out last fall.
“Well, you can’t see it because I’m wearing a collar and a tie, but underneath I have a ‘No Regrets’ tattoo on the bottom of my neck,” Carr joked — referring to a memorable spot from the 2013 comedy “We’re the Millers” — in an interview with Fox News Digital.
“And that’s kind of a motto I tend to live by.”
In September, following the murder of icon Charlie Kirk, ABC’s late-night host sparked outrage over comments he made about Kirk’s killer Tyler Robinson, suggesting he was part of MAGA even though it had already been reported and confirmed by prosecutors that Robinson had expressed left-wing views.
At the time, Carr issued a threat to Disney about possible “ways” the FCC could pursue.
“Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr told YouTube host Benny Johnson at the time.
“These companies can find ways to change behavior, take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or, you know, there’s going to be more FCC work ahead.”
After companies like Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group vowed to shut down “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on its channels, Disney announced that it would host his show “indefinitely.”
But despite the fact that the FCC was not involved in Disney’s decision, Carr became the face of allegations of harassment because of his comments and was mocked on “South Park” for it.
“We’ve been very clear with the broadcasters that we’re going to hold it under public responsibility,” Carr told Fox News Digital.
“We’re trying to make sure that local stations feel empowered to push back against national broadcasters, including Disney, if they’re doing programming that local broadcasters don’t think is appropriate for their community.”
An FCC official said the stations owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group “have the right under the law” not to air Kimmel’s show and that he was “very happy” they decided to back off.
“Honestly, I want to see more of that,” Carr continued.
“I think these affiliates have become mouthpieces in too many cases for Disney and other national programmers. I don’t think we’re better off as a country for that. So I want to see those local TV stations actually serve the needs of their community.”
“It is not possible that programs that are almost made in New York and Hollywood in all cases are suitable for all thousands of different communities across the country. So it is time for local broadcasters to step up. And if you see something wrong, first prepare a program or run something that is good for your community,” he added.
Disney faced a liberal backlash for putting Kimmel on the bench, with thousands canceling their Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions in protest as the Hollywood community rallied behind the liberal host.
When he returned to the airwaves, Kimmel gave a tearful monologue trying to explain his comments.
After a brief hiatus, both Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group brought Kimmel back on their air. ABC has extended Kimmel’s contract through May 2027.
