Jimmy Kimmel is back tonight. So many questions remain.

So many questions still remain unanswered over the whole Jimmy Kimmel controversy.

But one big question was answered on Monday. Will Kimmel’s show ever return to ABC?

The answer is yes. After being sidelined for nearly a week, “Jimmy Kimmel Live” will be back on the air tonight.

In a statement put out Monday afternoon, Disney, which owns ABC, said, “Last 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. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”

But now what? So many questions remain.

Will Kimmel address the controversy? Will he apologize? Will he be taken off the air again if he says something the president of the United States doesn’t like? Will his return be celebrated or condemned? Or both?

It has been a week unlike any other in recent history when it comes to one of the staples of our democracy: free speech. The controversy of the Kimmel show in particular and the topic of free speech in general have dominated the national discussion.

It all started during Kimmel’s monologue on Sept. 15 as he discussed the aftermath of the shooting death of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk. Kimmel said, “We 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 and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

Despite some complaints in conservative circles, it seemed like an innocuous remark.

But in the aftermath, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr went on a conservative podcast and threatened to take action against Kimmel, saying, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” That set off an avalanche. Shortly after Carr’s comments, TV operators Nexstar and Sinclair announced that their ABC affiliates would not air Kimmel’s show. ABC then announced Kimmel’s show would be suspended “indefinitely.”

Kimmel being taken off the air for his late-night monologue became a tinderbox for debate and criticism, with many worried that free speech was being erased in a country that has a First Amendment of the Constitution dedicated to it. Kimmel, it seemed, was being punished, in part, because President Donald Trump, his administration and his followers don’t like what he says. Those in charge limiting or silencing speech simply because it’s not popular among them is the type of behavior often seen in authoritarian countries. That’s how most Americans, including many Republicans, saw it. There have been widespread protests and boycotts of Disney, although some believed Kimmel had crossed a line.

There had been a vibe that the situation was about to come to a head sooner rather than later this week. That’s because of what Sal Iacono, a longtime writer on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and Kimmel’s cousin, said on Bill Simmons’ podcast.

Iacono — better known as “Cousin Sal” — is a regular guest on Simmons’ podcast to talk about the NFL. During an episode recorded Sunday night, Iacono told Simmons, “I wish I could say anything. There are a couple bombshells still there. I'm feeling good. We're going to be all right. Everything's going to be just fine.”

Iacono did describe the situation as “emotional.”

So what happens now?

Well, for starters, Sinclair announced that it still will not air Kimmel’s show. A spokesperson said, “Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return.” As of Monday night, Nexstar hadn’t announced its plans. According to the Los Angeles Times, “Without the two station groups, the program would still reach 75% of the country, making it viable for national advertisers.” In addition, the show would still return to where many people view it: on streaming platforms.

What went into Disney’s decision to put the show back on? In its statement, Disney said the company had “thoughtful conversations” with Kimmel. Does that mean Kimmel will offer an apology when he returns tonight?

On one hand, it seems unlikely that ABC would allow Kimmel to come back if he didn’t have some sort of mea culpa. On the other hand, it’s hard to imagine Kimmel will do anything to make it look like he’s giving into the likes of Trump and Carr — or anything that looks like he is compromising on free speech.

There were reports that Kimmel had planned to say something on his show last Wednesday, but that show never aired because of the suspension.

The New York Times reported, “But after senior Disney executives — including its chief executive, Robert A. Iger, and its head of television, Dana Walden — reviewed Mr. Kimmel’s planned remarks, they worried his monologue would make the situation worse, and decided to bench him and his show instead.”

When he returns tonight, he certainly will have to say something. Will he do it in front of an audience, which is sure to erupt in overwhelming applause and support? Or might he elect to record his thoughts in an empty studio so there is no crowd reaction?

My guess is that he will say that he could have worded his comments better. And that he regrets any remarks that upset the Kirk family and anything that put Disney in a bad spot. He could also try to explain that his comments were misrepresented by those on the right.

But he is also likely to strongly defend freedom of speech.

Whatever he says, it’s unlikely that he will satisfy everyone. He will either be criticized by conservatives for not apologizing enough or liberals for apologizing too much.

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‘The View’ weighs in

After remaining strangely quiet last week, ABC’s “The View” spoke out against the Kimmel suspension. On Monday’s program, before the announcement that his show was returning, “The View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg said, “Did y’all really think we weren’t going to talk about Jimmy Kimmel? I mean, have you watched the show over the last 29 seasons? No one silences us.”

Goldberg said the reason the hosts didn’t initially comment on the controversy is that they were waiting to see if Kimmel was going to say something first. Goldberg then slammed Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr, who suggested on a conservative podcast that Kimmel be suspended.

Goldberg said, “Someone can say something they shouldn’t and get taken off the air, but the government cannot apply pressure to force someone to be silenced. We talk about freedom of speech a lot because we are always in somebody’s mess because somebody has decided that we have said something that’s offensive. But we fight for everybody’s right to have freedom of speech because it means my speech is free, it means your speech is free.”

Co-host Ana Navarro said, “I lived through a right-wing dictatorship in Nicaragua and I lived through a left-wing dictatorship in Nicaragua. This is what dictators and authoritarians do. It does not matter the ideology. At first, they come with it for the people with big platforms, at first they silence the press, but then they come for all of us because their intent is to scare us into silence and self-censorship.”

Alyssa Farah Griffin, the most conservative co-host on the show, said, “The First Amendment is the first for a reason, because you need to be able to hold those in power accountable.”

A celebrity protest

 

Hundreds of celebrities signed a letter written by the American Civil Liberties Union that supports free speech and condemns Disney’s suspension of Kimmel.

All of this surely has been a nightmare for Disney CEO Bob Iger. There are few things worse than running a major entertainment company and running afoul of some of the talented performers and creators in the entertainment industry.

Among those who signed the letter are Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Robert De Niro, Jane Fonda, Meryl Streep, Selena Gomez, Tom Hanks, Olivia Rodrigo, Ben Stiller, Pedro Pascal, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Keaton, Regina King, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Natalie Portman, Martin Short and Kerry Washington.

Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU, wrote in the letter, "We now find ourselves in a modern McCarthy era, facing exactly the type of heavy-handed government censorship our Constitution rightfully forbids. The silencing of Jimmy Kimmel and jawboning of media outlets through lawsuits and threats to their licenses evoke dark memories of the 1950s. We must remember, however, that Senator McCarthy was ultimately disgraced and neutralized once Americans mobilized and stood up to him. We must do the same today because together, our voices are louder and together, we will fight to be heard.”

For the full letter and the entire list of those who signed it, check out this piece by The Hollywood Reporter’s James Hibberd.

Stern speaks

Radio legend Howard Stern, certainly someone who has exercised his First Amendment rights over his remarkable career, blasted ABC, saying its suspension of Kimmel was “really dumb and (expletive) horrible.”

Starting his SiriusXM show on Monday by saying, “I can no longer keep my mouth shut,” Stern went on to say, “I just know when the government begins to interfere … when the government says, ‘I’m not pleased with you, so we’re going to orchestrate a way to silence you,’ it’s the wrong direction for the country. It isn’t good.”

Stern suggested that Trump and his administration getting involved in this matter could be a smokescreen to distract Americans from other problems, such as the economy.

Stern said he understood that ABC was in a tough spot, but that “someone’s got to step up and be (expletive) saying, ‘Hey, enough, we’re not gonna bow.’”

Stern added, “It’s a scary time when the government starts threatening you, which is not right. And I don’t think ABC should have to be in this position. It’s ridiculous. But I know most broadcasters would agree with me. I don’t care what they broadcast, whether they’re these right-wing types, or left-wing types, whatever type you are, we can't have the government in this country dictating (speech).”

A wimpish response

In case you missed it, during his speech at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service on Sunday, President Donald Trump took the opportunity to raise the country’s temperature.

Trump said of Kirk, “He was a missionary with a noble spirit and a great, great purpose. He did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent. And I don’t want the best for them.”

This came during the same memorial when Kirk’s widow, Erika, said she had forgiven the man who shot her husband.

On Monday, during a press briefing at the White House, PBS White House correspondent Liz Landers asked press secretary Karoline Leavitt about Trump’s comments.

Landers asked, “I just wanted to follow up quickly on something that the president had said yesterday. So we heard from Erika Kirk. She said she forgives the man who shot and killed her husband. And then right after that, we heard from the president who said, ‘I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them.’ How does that square with bringing down the temperature of political violence in this country?”

Leavitt’s response: “Look, the president is authentically himself. I think that’s why millions of Americans across the country love him and support him, including Erica Kirk, who you saw so beautifully was on stage with the president in an unthinkable moment, in the midst of an unthinkable tragedy, and was leaning on the president for support during that time. And he was there to give it to her, as well as the vice president and many other top-ranking cabinet officials.”

Status report

Media journalist Oliver Darcy, who left CNN a little more than a year ago to start his own media venture, is having enough success that he is hiring talented staff. Darcy started off by himself, writing a five-day-a-week newsletter about the media called “Status.” He eventually added Jon Passantino, an editor he worked with at CNN, and the two started a weekly podcast about the media called “Power Lines.”

On Monday, Darcy announced two more hires: Brian Lowry, who had been a media editor at TheWrap and previously worked at CNN with Darcy; and Natalie Korach, who was most recently a reporter at Vanity Fair. Lowry will be a Hollywood correspondent and editor, and will contribute film and TV reviews. Korach will be a media correspondent.

In addition to the hires, the Status newsletter will move to publishing seven days a week.

The Hollywood Reporter’s Alex Weprin has more. Weprin reports, “Darcy says that he is also seeking to beef up the business side of Status, turning to former Deadline chief revenue officer Stacey Farish, who will help build out the company’s advertising and sponsorship initiatives.”

In case you missed it, Darcy was a recent guest on my “Poynter Report Podcast.” He talked in detail about Status and hinted at its expansion during our conversation. Be sure to check it out. Also, a heads up: A new episode of the podcast comes out Wednesday with my guest Chuck Todd.

Media tidbits

• Hillary Clinton will be the guest on Wednesday’s “Morning Joe” on MSNBC.
• Patrick Healy, the assistant managing editor for standards and trust at The New York Times, with “Inside The Times’s Reporting and Judgment Calls on Charlie Kirk’s Assassination.”
• Variety’s Brian Steinberg with “‘60 Minutes’ Staff Wants to Get Back to Stories After Season of Tumult.”
• Matt Frucci has been named executive producer of the “NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas.” Frucci has been with NBC News since 2016 and has been EP of the weekend editions of “Nightly News” for six years. Frucci replaces Meghan Rafferty, who was EP for four years before recently announcing she was joining Versant, the cable TV company that is being spun off from NBCUniversal.
• Washington Post media reporter Jeremy Barr is leaving the Post to join The Guardian as its first media reporter in the U.S. Here’s more from The Guardian.
• The Guardian’s William Christou with “Israel attack on Yemeni newspaper was second deadliest on journalists ever recorded.”
• Catching up on this superb piece last week from my colleague Sitara Nieves, the vice president of teaching and organizational strategy at Poynter: “Public media’s make-or-break moment.”

Hot type

• Netflix has a new two-part documentary about actor Charlie Sheen. I found it interesting. Not necessarily must-see, but pretty watchable. And here’s The New Yorker’s Naomi Fry with “The Strange, Cinematic Life of Charlie Sheen.”

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