Political Ref | September 18, 2025 | Permalink

Emily Jashinsky and Batya Ungar-Sargon do not like the fact that Jimmy Kimmel was taken off the air for his lies about what motivated the alleged Charlie Kirk assassin. FCC licenses require honesty, no news distortion or false information is permitted in certain circumstances.

Not just any run-of-the-mill false report triggers the threat of losing an FCC license, but knowingly false statements regarding significant events, and not merely minor or incidental aspects of a report, can threaten a broadcast license.

Local stations absolutely have every right to preempt offending programs. The FCC Chair has every right to threaten broadcasters who knowingly push lies about significant events in a news context. Kimmel is a comic, but he has admitted he is politically motivated and wants to impact how you view the news and how you vote.

Americans lease broadcast licenses and have every right to expect a basic level of honesty from broadcasters. When you knowingly state falsehoods to push blame onto your political opposition for the most significant assassination since 1968 (RFK), the broadcast license should be in doubt if that lie is not corrected.

Why do so many conservatives simply lay down and excuse hyper-partisan abuse of broadcast licenses in the name of respect for free speech? You have a right to speech, not a right to broadcast licenses. Grow a pair already.