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Comment by _9za9 | Hacker News Reader

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Not quite as simple as that. The FCC chief threatened ABC just today:

https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/brendan-carr-abc-fcc-jimmy-...

If Nexstar was acting in reaction to what Carr said there’s a First Amendment argument to be made. They also require FCC approval for a merger right now, it’s not difficult to see the quid pro quo potential.

The argument would at least be heard by a judge.

Can you visualize a Venn diagram that has 'free speech' and 'the First Amendment'?

>>> The ABC late-night host’s remarks constituted “the sickest conduct possible,” FCC chair Brendan Carr told right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson on Wednesday. Carr suggested his FCC could move to revoke ABC affiliate licenses as a way to force Disney to punish Kimmel

Last I checked, the FCC is part of the government.

Your post deliberately leaves out the statements from the FCC threatening action, which spooked Nexstar who has business with the FCC.

Maybe you weren't aware of this fact despite it being literally the headline shown on the very page you are commenting on:

> ABC yanks Jimmy Kimmel’s show ‘indefinitely’ after threat from FCC chair

Your post deliberately leaves out statements from Sinclair and Nexstar themselves.

"In a statement posted online, Sinclair praised the Federal Communications Commission chair, Brendan Carr and called the comic’s remarks “inappropriate and deeply insensitive”."

"Inappropriate and deeply insensitive", but I suppose you, and the others here like you, believe it is appropriate and timely to spread misinformation as long as it fuels your narrative.

What's at issue is whether it's appropriate for officials in the US government to use their office to apply pressure against speech they don't like. Preventing this behavior is why the first amendment exists.

Were those comments made before or after the direct and described causal threat made by Carr?

No one can be this genuinely naïve.

“Yes, the kidnapped torture victim in my basement dungeon is fine. Here, they wrote a note saying so.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremiah_Denton

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