Is There ANY Recourse For Kimmel, Colbert, Dowd, Etc. ?

[WiVoter]

Last edited Wed Sep 17, 2025, 09:50 PM - Edit history (2)

Lawsuit? ACLU? Whatever the likelihood of success doesn't matter. If you're gonna go down, go down

[Intractable]

1. They were sold out by their own companies. CBS, ABC, and MSNBC were not willing to stand up.

[lostincalifornia]

2. Yup, go to an independent network or cable/Satellite. Screw the

MSM news networks.

[RockRaven]

3. You would have to know two things to answer this question: what their contracts say

and what the companies actually end up doing beyond these announcements (such as paying them how much and when, etc).

[WiVoter]

4. Even if it's unconstitutional?

I'm no lawyer & have zero expertise, but there must be something that can be done or attempted.

[RockRaven]

5. What is unconstitutional? There is no 1st Am right to be broadcast on a TV network.

1st Am speech protection is about the government not restricting you with laws, not corporations' employment/nonemployment of you.

And, yes, these companies are bowing before Trump and fulfilling his desires. And maybe they are afraid of arbitrary regulatory decisions in the future. But legally, there isn't much there (not that is public anyhow) for the on air people to work with.

[Mark.b2]

6. First of all, Kimmel and Colbert could go back to being funny...

But, there are tons of other channels and platforms, and they can have much more control and freedom over what they produce.

Their fans will find them.

Don Lemon, Tucker Carlson, Chris Cuomo, Bil O’Reilly, Keith Olberman and others have done quite well after getting whacked by more established networks.

[Skittles]

7. they ARE funny

and with our politicians and press completely failing us they are more needed than EVER

[Johonny]

9. Not sure if Kimmel and Colbert's contracts allow

Them to do much while still under it or when or if these moves officially break their contracts.

Obviously the move is to team up and moved to streaming where they are free from the FCC and can control their content. That is where the audience is these days anyways.

[Mark.b2]

11. Outside of sports and local news, most of my media consumption...

is via platforms where I can watch content on my schedule sans commercials. And I’m hardly alone!

I can hardly watch commercial TV anymore.

Best thing I ever did—subscribe to YouTube Premier! I could never go back to YouTube videos with commercials.

And like many, I’m in my car a lot. I love long-form podcasting. Podcasters could do better, though, with subsciptions to cut out commercials.

Things have never been better for great liber and progressive content!

[kacekwl]

8. I'm very

curious as to what the ladies of the View are going to do. Joy said Monday "we're screwed" to which Whoopie said, no we are not because the people have to do what they do. Let's see if she puts her money where her mouth is and stands behind Kimmel and walks off until he's reinstated. Let's see what the whole lot does.

[IowaUnionman]

10. PBS

This is what happens when the billionaires and corporations are allowed buy politicians, newspapers, radio ,cable and tv networks.
Now we have to add internet dominance to the list, a relentless,persistent subliminal and unified message of extreme rightwing lies and propaganda.
End citizens United
Tax the extremely wealthy ..,92% like FDR,Truman,Eisenhower and Kennedy had.
A stronger FCC to prevent censorship .
This is exactly why we need a non corporate network to provide a real uncensored ,unbiased
Network. We have one, it’s PBS . Some are so far right nowadays that they can’t even see the center and complain it’s left wing. The truth is PBS has the best news organization on tv and intelligent programming probably not suited for MAGAts.
Bring back Jimmy