57 Comments
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Harris Semegram's avatar

Two Nexstar outlets serve my viewing area. It's a small gesture but using parental controls, those two outlets are blocked on my TVs. Won't miss their programming.

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Katy Bolger's avatar

Excellent, Harris, using parental controls to save the adults from spewed garbage . Good parenting and self care.

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Larry Hogue's avatar

You can also message them and tell them you’re going to watch Kimmel on Hulu. My local ABC affiliate isn’t owned by either of those corporations so I’m not sure what I can do.

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Ann Sharon's avatar

Kimmel has always had clips of his monologue and sometimes longer segments on YouTube. I think they put his ‘return’ up already. The current monopolies are working themselves out of a job.

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Larry Hogue's avatar

Yep I forgot to mention YouTube. Apparently he has 2,000,000 subscribers

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Marliss Desens's avatar

He had 20.8 million a few days ago. I urge everyone to subscribe to his You Tube Channel.

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Larry Hogue's avatar

Wow! Maybe the 2,000,000 thing I saw was old.

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Ann Sharon's avatar

Maybe more now.

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Joel W. Crump's avatar

This whole ordeal is messed up, Kimmel did nothing wrong to begin with, Carr acted as an authoritarian bully, ABC initially had no spine, the affiliates refusing to air the show now are pathetic. We deserve better from the corporate media, but what should I expect from television, it's trash content to promote trash advertising, to weak-minded people.

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Leigh Woodward's avatar

That’s rich! Sinclair and Nexstar keep Fox on with their disrespectful hosts who spew hate and lies every time they open their pie holes! Looking at you Kilmead who wants to kill homeless people. Hypocrites!

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Joel W. Crump's avatar

You would think they'd see how blatant it is, right?

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NubbyShober's avatar

Not gonna happen. It's like Trump just a few days ago listing every single prominent Rightie recently shot or killed--going all the way back to Scalise's (non-fatal) shooting eight years ago. But not a single mention of a Dem murdered or maimed by MAGA.

This despite Right murdering Left since 1975 at >5:1 ratio; as per the right-wing Cato Institute: https://www.cato.org/blog/politically-motivated-violence-rare-united-states

Trump and his enablers at FOX News are currently trying to create an alternate universe, where Conservatives are the only victims of political violence. Instead of the predominant perpetrators. Fricking hypocrites.

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Adam's avatar
Sep 24Edited

They do and they just don't care! Here is a possible retort to your assessment: That's an real good example of brainwashed, stupid libral thinking. That's why y'all have 70 genders! What's yer pronoun? Make mine's BUD LITE!

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Joel W. Crump's avatar

He he he.

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Ann Sharon's avatar

Fox is on cable and not licensed by the FCC. Sinclair in particular has very rightwing owners & has been known to give its programs material that must be included “on air” in their news coverage. It also has a history of violations including children’s content - paid a settlement of $500,000 in June. https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/fcc-fines-sinclair-usd500-000

All in all I think it aligns with management’s personal views & serves to ingratiated Sinclair with the FCC for the next round of merger approvals.

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Joseph McPhillips's avatar

Propaganda, gaslighting & corruption are central to Trump & Co. Thanks to Jimmy K & Brazil's President Lula Da Silva for showing us the way... Get up stand up. Resist authoritarianism & Vote Blue!.

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Susan Guyaux's avatar

Why is Laura Ingrahm still on the air after saying “Good Work” when a Democratic candidate in Chicago was thrown hard to the ground by ICE agents during a campaign rally? Where is the FCC now? Not even a reprimand! No double standard for Democrats! FOX “news”hosts regularly say harmful or over the line comments but our President makes no calls to the Chairman demanding removal! Because he sees all Democrats as the enemy! He has said it himself.

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Ann Sharon's avatar

She is on air for the same reason Murdoch chose cable, not network TV as home to his empire. Less regulation.

From the FCC site. “Over-the-air broadcasts by local TV and radio stations are subject to certain speech restraints, but speech transmitted by cable or satellite TV systems generally is not. The FCC does not regulate online content.”

There is a list of content the FCC is authorized to regulate. Satire and comedians are not included. They are trying to make what Kimmel said qualify as the item listed as • broadcast news distortion.

https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/fcc-and-speech#:~:text=Over%2Dthe%2Dair%20broadcasts%20by,or%20other%20non%2Demergency%20purposes.

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Frau Katze's avatar

The reasoning is that limited broadcast spectrum is a public good. That’s why it’s regulated.

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Robot Bender's avatar

Not to mention a certain Fox personality who said that the homeless should be given lethal injections...

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Ann Sharon's avatar

Why does Murdoch prefer cable? Content is not regulated. It isn’t supposed to be with narrow exceptions in broadcast TV either. But Fox would fall under “broadcast news distortion” - which is what the FCC is trying to say Kimmel’s comments fell under re: ABC being broadcast (not cable).

https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/fcc-and-speech#:~:text=Over%2Dthe%2Dair%20broadcasts%20by,or%20other%20non%2Demergency%20purposes.

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Frau Katze's avatar

Where I live (BC, Canada) EVERYTHING on TV is cable. I guess broadcast is still cost effective in big cities.

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Ann Sharon's avatar

Cable packages include the major networks - but ABC, CBS, NBC have broadcast stations. Rural areas haven’t kept up with cable or satellite service because it hasn’t been cost effective.

Not profitable enough now. The conglomerates (for whom news is a sideline & not so profitable) are all trying to merge or take over something. The Larry Ellison family positioned to greatly expand if it is included in the TikTok deal. The major networks are becoming less popular & have to please their distributors like Nexstar & Sinclair. Sinclair just paid a $500,000 fine to the FCC in June to make violations go away & are looking get permission to expand. So this is all politics & money; nothing for the public; confusing as hell - except it is not in our best interest.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91404884/larry-ellison-is-quickly-becoming-the-biggest-media-magnate-in-america

6 million saw Kimmel’s show on TV - more than 2x the usual audience. But his social media following is much bigger and grew even larger. The numbers didn’t include streaming.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv/articles/jimmy-kimmels-return-scores-6-221230583.html

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Mike McCabe's avatar

Sinclair and Nexstar have learned from their boss. Never miss a chance for a shakedown.

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Katy Bolger's avatar

It seems to me that the argument on Nexstar's side is that in order to become more profitable, this one company needs the airwave rules to change that have been in place since airwaves began broadcasting images i.e. television. Why the f should we care how much profit a corporation makes? Why is their bottom line more important than the health of America's viewers? The FCC's rules are in place to protect people, not corporations. And who the f is Brendan Carr? Can someone please find his mortgage fraud? A man like that has secrets, perhaps a Cava bag in his closet. All of Trump's closest allies in government are on the Russian payroll, mark my words.

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Adam's avatar

You know that every accusation is a confession with this rabble. Carr is dirty up to his friggin eyebrows! Naw, up to his hairline!

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Katy Bolger's avatar

He is probably angry at his hairline so mentioning it might upset him. But your comment led me to the Wikipedia page for Carr which is the story of an opportunist moving through the government at the speed of a Trump. He is massively hypocritical in denouncing/censoring some (progressive) things while glorifying the Great Leader including - get this - wearing a gold pin on his lapel with Trump's face. OMG.

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Adam's avatar

Dirty from the tips of his toes to the top of his dildo-shaped head, puerilely purrrfect for butt-snorkeling his favorite orange anoose (that's a joke alright)!

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Frau Katze's avatar

Yuck! I can barely stand looking at photos of the 🍊buffoon.

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Frau Katze's avatar

Carr is another Trump toadie.

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Susan B's avatar

Oh great - more right wing content and control. Who’s betting they’ll get what they want?

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Marliss Desens's avatar

Democracy Forward is suing, under the Freedom of Information Act, for all the communication between FCC and the broadcasters. Remember that what is done under this administration, if it is illegal, which it likely is, can be undone when Democrats regain power.

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Jim Carmichael's avatar

I am thoroughly sick of the world turning on corporate whim: end Citizens United!

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Sue Connaughton's avatar

The authoritarian trump regime is doing its part to speed up the consolidation of our airwaves by right wing, oligarch owned media companies. What we are witnessing is the oligarchs doing their part to pay homage to Dear Leader who will then grant them the right to establish state aligned and approved t.v. It’s all part of the autocratic playbook.

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john a's avatar

here in tulsa,ok we have a Sinclair affiliate....we would "tape" Kimmel every evening and watch following day.....that was not possible today......we were able to watch on HULU though. Sinclair et al must be concerned with the ease in which locals can bypass their stations completely with all the streaming services. it would seem they are a dying breed, hence they want to change the rules. the news portion of the station here has reduced staff to literally nothing. demographically if they lose viewership adverts will dive and that is their lifeblood. IMO

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David Schechter's avatar

According to the remaining Democrat on the FCC in her interview on the Rachel Maddow show, the 39% rule is statutory and not something the FCC can change on its own despite any petition to do so from Nextstar.

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E-Dub's avatar

“Eliminating these restrictions would allow companies like Nexstar and Sinclair to become larger and more powerful. If the administration views Nexstar and Sinclair as reliable political allies, allowing them to consolidate power could become more attractive.”

This is key to the “Orbanization” and the competitive authoritarian model many historians and political scientists believe is the end game of Project 2025.

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Lesley's avatar

thanks, Judd. my local ABC affiliate is Sinclair-owned, so no Kimmel for us in Asheville.

what's the best action to take? at the station, at Sinclair? boycott the advertisers on the lame local news they're dumping on us instead of the show? calls to my all-GOP legislators to decry censorship? I need to do something but don't know what's most productive.

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Marliss Desens's avatar

Some of those advertisers may be glad to pull their ads. After all, they were more likely to be seen with Jimmy Kimmel than with re-runs of Family Feud, or whatever the heck is being run in the place of Kimmel's show.

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Anne Hammond-Meyer's avatar

Good information on Sinclair and David Smith. I remember his takeover of KOMO TV in Seattle. Not surprised by his current motives. Vomit emoji.

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Elana's avatar

Sinclair is no better than Carr strong arming Kimmel to make donations. Doesn’t look like he’ll be back on those stations. I’m glad ABC felt the financial repercussions, it won’t make me resubscribe to Hulu.

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