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00:00This morning, after nearly a week off the air, Jimmy Kimmel Live is set to return to late-night TV.
00:07Disney saying in a statement,
00:09Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.
00:18It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive.
00:23We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy,
00:27and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.
00:32The show was paused indefinitely amid apparent threats from the Trump administration,
00:36following Kimmel's comments last Monday about the ideology of the alleged shooter in Charlie Kirk's murder.
00:42We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them
00:51and doing everything they can to score political points from it.
00:54Last Wednesday, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, who was appointed by President Trump,
01:00seemed to threaten to take action against broadcasters that aired Kimmel's show.
01:05I mean, look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.
01:08These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel,
01:14or, you know, there's going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.
01:18Two of the biggest owners of network TV affiliates, Nextar and Sinclair, said they wouldn't air the show,
01:24and ABC suspended it indefinitely.
01:28President Trump praised Kimmel's suspension, even calling for NBC's late-night hosts to go.
01:34And despite his pledge on day one in office to protect free speech,
01:39Trump suggested TV outlets that are repeatedly critical of him should lose their broadcast licenses,
01:44a move that could take them off the air.
01:47They give me only bad publicity or press.
01:51I mean, if they're getting a license, I would think maybe their license should be taken away.
01:57It would be up to Brendan Carr.
01:59The apparent threats from the FCC and ABC's decision to temporarily suspend Kimmel
02:04sparked a fierce national debate about free speech.
02:07Republican Senator Ted Cruz warning about censorship.
02:10I think it is unbelievably dangerous for government to put itself in the position of saying,
02:18we're going to decide what speech we like and what we don't,
02:21and we're going to threaten to take you off air if we don't like what you're saying.
02:26Kimmel has still not publicly commented ahead of the show tonight,
02:29and no word yet, guys, on who his guests will be.
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