‘Intimidation’: Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner Weighs In on Jimmy Kimmel Suspension

Michael Eisner in August. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

Key Points

About This Summary

• Michael Eisner, former Disney CEO, called out the ‘out-of-control intimidation’ that led to Jimmy Kimmel’s show suspension.
• ABC suspended Kimmel’s show after pressure from the FCC chair Brendan Carr and some local station owners.
• Kimmel’s show suspension has sparked debate over First Amendment rights.

While most corporate leaders have remained mum on the suspension of ABC’s late-night show hosted by Jimmy Kimmel this week, one legendary former CEO is speaking up.

Michael Eisner, who oversaw Disney’s acquisition of ABC back in the 1990s, called Kimmel’s ousting after pressure from the Trump administration “yet another example of out-of-control intimidation” in a post on X Friday afternoon. Eisner helmed Disney for 21 years from 1984 to 2005.

“Where has all the leadership gone?” he added. “If not for university presidents, law firm managing partners, and corporate chief executives standing up against bullies, who then will step up for the first amendment?”

Disney did not immediately respond to Barron’s request for comment.

ABC announced Wednesday that it was “preempting indefinitely” the comedian’s show after pressure from Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, as well as two owners of local ABC stations, Nexstar and Sinclair.

The suspension came two days after Kimmel said on his show that Republicans were using the fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk “to score political points.”

Kimmel’s suspension has unleashed a broader debate about First Amendment rights. Most of the political pushback has come from those on the left, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, both Democrats.

However, at least one Republican, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, has raised alarms about the move, too. “Look, I like Brendan Carr. He’s a good guy, he’s the chairman of the FCC. I work closely with him, but what he said there is dangerous as hell,” Cruz said on his podcast Friday.

He added that Carr’s comment before Kimmel’s firing that “we can do this the easy or the hard way” sounded like a line from the 1990 mob film, Goodfellas.

When asked about Carr’s comments Friday afternoon, President Donald Trump told reporters, “I disagree with Ted Cruz on that.” Trump added that he thinks it’s illegal “to take a great story and make it bad,” a reference to what he has called the mostly negative coverage of the president by network TV.

The FCC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Johnson told Barron’s that Kimmel’s suspension “has nothing to do with free speech—low-ratings loser Jimmy Kimmel is free to make whatever bad jokes he wants, but a private company is under no obligation to lose money producing an unpopular show.”

Disney’s stock has fallen 2.4% since Kimmel’s suspension was announced, but is up 1.75% for the year.

Write to Anita Hamilton at anita.hamilton@barrons.com