We can do this the easy way or the hard way...

“Big Media Companies have unchecked reach and vast Financial Resources”
CEO NEXSTAR Perry A. Sook

Over the past couple of days I have been inundated with information around the abrupt cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel’s show over comments around the assassination of Charlie Kirk. This is an ongoing investigation that I will not be commenting on, instead today I would like to dive into the FCC’s comments and subsequent actions by Disney and ABC. If you haven’t watched my History of the Media video, then I would start there as it will dive into more detailed information around the Fairness Doctrine and the changes put into effect by the Reagan administration in 1987.

If this is the first time you are reading or hearing something that I have wrote, my name is Jerry and I am filmmaker and media educator. Ive taught broadcast journalism the past 5 years and I felt called to make my own news report that students have been doing for years. I present my take on Free Speech…

Advocates have stated that Kimmel’s firing is a violation of the first amendment and free speech stating that Fox News Host Brian Kilmeads’ statements on the unhoused should also be grounds for firing. The Federal Communications Commission does not oversee cable tv and therefore has no overseeing authority over cable news stations points of view.

The FCC’s Website stated that: For purposes of this rule, "public harm'' must begin immediately, and cause direct and actual damage to property or to the health or safety of the general public, or diversion of law enforcement or other public health and safety authorities from their duties.

According to a press release on TEGNA’s website: Nexstar’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Perry A. Sook, commented, “The initiatives being pursued by the Trump administration offer local broadcasters the opportunity to expand reach, level the playing field, and compete more effectively with the Big Tech and legacy Big Media companies that have unchecked reach and vast financial resources. Nexstar is Located in Irving Texas. According to their website they don’t have any local broadcasting stations in Irving Texas5, but there is one in Dallas that reaches this area. Tegna is located in Tysons, Virginia. There is no local Tegna station in Tysons.

It is still unclear how much communication was formally had between the parties involved but I do agree with Mr. Sook. It seems that Legacy Big Media Companies do have unchecked reach and vast Financial Resources. Pending the FCC’s sign-off Nexstar hopes to acquire legacy big media company TEGNA. Nexstar was founded in 1996, while Tegna has been in the space since 1906. This comes only weeks after the FCC approved a merger between Paramount and Skydance making Larry Ellison the second richest person in America6, only second to Elon Musk. Quite a legacy indeed.

As of September 22nd, 2025, there has been talks to figure out a path forward for the Kimmel Show. The Sinclair Group has stated that they will not put his show on air unless specific requests are made. According to DEADLINE7, The Sinclair Group decided to not air the Charlie Kirk Memorial over the air, instead it was placed on their YouTube Channel.

Over the weekend there has been talks of how to undo this choice, but I believe there is a deeper place to look and this is the merger between two corporate giants that would allow them to reach over 80% off all American’s at one time. As someone that grew up in rural Kansas, went to college outside of Kansas City, Missouri and have now lived in the Los Angeles area for 15 years I can say without a doubt that a company over 3,000 miles away from me won’t have the insight to what my community needs. In the words of Sinclairs’ own anchors, “This is a threat to Democracy.” Local news should be kept local.

Within these pending mergers America would be allowing its method of communication to be consolidated into only a few major publicly traded corporations funded by the same big money that these companies are saying they want to remove themselves from.

Stay informed and dig deeper. He who controls the media, controls the truth.
If it comes to the easy or hard way of losing your rights, I think I’ll take the hard way.

Free speech isn’t dead yet, but it might be soon if you take it for granted.

Jerry