The chair of the US media regulator, Brendan Carr, has been accused of sparking Jimmy Kimmel's suspension from ABC after threatening the network's broadcast licenses. Carr, appointed by Donald Trump, appeared on a right-wing podcast on Wednesday and warned ABC affiliates that action must be taken against the late-night host.
In an interview with CNBC, Carr defended his comments, stating his goal was to ensure broadcasters were 'serving the public interest'. He added that Trump's election had provided a 'permission structure' for shifts in the media ecosystem, and that 'we're not done yet with seeing the consequences'.
The controversy erupted as Jon Stewart returned to The Daily Show, hosting a 'government approved' edition in a studio adorned with gold trim, mocking Trump's Oval Office decor. Stewart aired clips of Trump threatening Kimmel's show would be 'next' to be axed, and discussed the suspension with journalist Maria Ressa.
Ressa, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, told Stewart that the speed of institutional collapse under Trump had exceeded her expectations. She drew parallels with former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte, warning that 'if you don't move and protest the rights you have, you lose them'. She also criticised social media for spreading lies, calling it a 'dictator's playbook'.
Trump himself has suggested punishing TV networks for negative coverage, while Carr's actions have reignited debates over free speech and media independence in the US.
