Democratic senators probe Nexstar, Sinclair over Jimmy Kimmel, warn benching could run ‘afoul of federal law’

Democratic senators are demanding answers from Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcasting Group after both broadcast giants declined to air ABC s Jimmy Kimmel Live raising concerns about prospective backroom dealings with the Trump administration to curry favor with federal regulators Sens Elizabeth Warren D-Mass Ron Wyden D-Ore Ed Markey D-Mass and Chris Van Hollen D-Md on Tuesday sent a letter to Nexstar Chairman Perry Sook and Sinclair CEO Christopher Ripley regarding decisions not to air Jimmy Kimmel Live and how those decisions may relate to regulatory issues pending with the Trump administration If Nexstar or Sinclair traded the censorship of a critic of the administration for official acts by the Trump administration your companies are not only complicit in an alarming trampling of free speech rights but also pitfall running afoul of federal law the senators wrote FCC CHAIR LEVELS THREAT AGAINST ABC DISNEY AFTER KIMMEL SUGGESTED CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSIN WAS MAGA The letter detailed that Kimmel made a series of comments about the reaction to the assassination of Charlie Kirk that outraged conservatives and prompted a veiled threat from Federal Communications Commission FCC Chairman Brendan Carr Hours after Chairman Carr s remarks ABC which broadcasts Mr Kimmel s show and is owned by Disney along with Nexstar and Sinclair two major owners of ABC local stations fell in line the letter stated It also noted that President Donald Trump praised the decision Disney did an about-face on Monday after widespread backlash from the left and released the show would return Nevertheless Nexstar and Sinclair stated they would not resume airing the show on the more than local ABC affiliates they own meaning roughly in local ABC stations serving U S households will not air Kimmel s show the Democrats commented Your announcements that you will prevent Mr Kimmel s show from airing on your stations come as your companies have business pending before the Trump administration Nexstar the nation s largest owner of local television stations and owner of dozens of ABC affiliates necessities the Federal Communications Commission s FCC approval of its attempted mega-merger with competitor Tegna Inc they continued Sinclair the nation s second-largest broadcaster is also waiting on FCC authorization for a broadcast deal and is expected to engage in further TV station acquisitions for which it would require FCC approval if the FCC weakens media ownership regulations NEXSTAR TO CONTINUE NOT AIRING KIMMEL'S ABC SHOW IN TALKS WITH DISNEY TO ENSURE IT 'RESPECTS' ALL AUDIENCESKimmel returned to air on Tuesday but his project was still preempted by Nexstar and Sinclair affiliates A source close to negotiations informed Fox News Digital ahead of Kimmel s comeback that Nexstar and Sinclair expected a sincere apology after infuriating conservatives with remarks about Kirk s alleged assassin Kimmel failed to apologize but choked up as he insisted that he never intended to make light of Kirk's death Kimmel also spent much of the show mocking Carr and Trump Nexstar publicized on Wednesday it would continue to preempt the plan while Sinclair has not commented Warren Wyden Markey and Van Hollen suggested the ordeal could implicate federal anti-corruption laws This series of events raises serious questions about whether Nexstar and Sinclair responded to Trump representatives warnings by removing Mr Kimmel s show not only to avoid regulatory backlash from the FCC but also to influence the Trump administration s review of your pending deals they wrote If you suspended a late-night comedian s show in part to seek regulatory favors from the administration you have not only assisted the administration in eroding First Amendment freedoms but also create the appearance of a doable quid-pro-quo arrangement that could implicate federal anti-corruption laws Warren Wyden Markey and Van Hollen added The Democrats noted that Nexstar has reported its plan to acquire rival broadcast owner Tegna for billion but need the FCC approval and Sinclair has pushed for the FCC to revise the television ownership cap as part of its larger plans for likely acquisitions communicated this August NEXSTAR SINCLAIR EXPECT APOLOGY FROM KIMMEL BEFORE AGREEING TO REINSTATE SHOW SOURCE Make no mistake the statements from FCC Chairman Carr and President Trump represent an extraordinary abuse of power that jeopardizes all Americans First Amendment rights These moves should be investigated to determine if they violate federal law Warren Wyden Markey and Van Hollen wrote But Nexstar and Sinclair which chose to right away buckle under Trump administration pressure also have questions to answer If you used this event as an opportunity to influence or appease President Trump or other administration authorities as you seek federal approval of your mergers or other regulatory favors that may raise questions about your compliance with federal anti-corruption law and the Communications Act s requirement to broadcast in the residents convenience interest and necessity they added Suspending the show of a comedian critical of the Trump administration clearly has value to President Trump who has been critical of Mr Kimmel for years The Democrats urged Nexstar and Sinclair to answer a series of questions by Oct including ones about private discussions between them and Carr and whether they were offered regulatory favors Others included Nexstar and Sinclair did not directly respond to a request for comment CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP