State Sen. Sam Givhan (R-Huntsville) discussed Jimmy Kimmel's indefinite suspension handed down by ABC and Disney on WVNN's "The Dale Jackson Show."
Following news of the surprise move from the networks, leftists across the country have attempted to paint the host as someone whose right to free speech was compromised at the behest of the Federal Communications Commission.
While Givhan would have preferred FCC commissioner Brendan Carr not go on television to discuss the issue repeatedly, he told Jackson that Kimmel is ultimately being treated fairly and within the bounds of the agency's regulations. According to Givhan, an unlikely source of reason on the issue has been liberal pundit and podcast host, Bill Maher.
The lawmaker explained that Maher has been pushing for hosts like Kimmel to stop mixing broadcasts with divisive political rhetoric, warning that it was severely impacting ratings.
"It is just kind of amazing right now. One of the best voices of reason out there on many issues is Bill Maher," Givhan noted.
"Now I agree with him and disagree with him on so many issues, but Maher is the left's voice of reason, and he's telling them, 'You guys are idiots. You have to stop doing this.' Apparently, nobody wants to listen to him on the left, but Bill Maher can say what he wants to say because he's not on the free airways. When you're on the free airways, whether it's radio or TV, you've got certain constraints."
Givhan told Jackson that the controversy caused by Kimmel calling Kirk's shooter a conservative could have been the off-ramp that executives with ABC and Disney had already been looking for
"I think there's too much focusing on the fact that he doesn't like Charlie Kirk and conservatives. Not the lie that he told that it was a Republican who killed him," he said. "Misinformation without any correction or repentance can draw a rebuke. I think the real issue is that people were not watching him."
"I don't study the ratings, but this may have been an excuse for Disney to go. 'Hm. Yeah. Let's, let's, let's can this guy,'" he added.
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