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Credit: Video Screenshot, 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!', ABCOn September 17, Jimmy Kimmel found himself sitting at home instead of preparing for his popular late-night talk show. Disney had suddenly pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! from the air indefinitely after Kimmel made comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk and a response from Donald Trump. Before Disney made its decision, the company had already been informed by affiliate broadcasters NexStar Media and Sinclair Broadcasting that they would not be airing the show due to the comments.
Disney immediately faced a ton of backlash, including from former President Barack Obama, former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, Disney stars Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hanks, and many others. There were even protests outside Disney’s studio lot in Burbank, as well as the studio where Jimmy Kimmel Live! is filmed.
Related: Disney Stock Tumbles, Streaming Cancellations Crash Site Amid Kimmel Chaos
Shortly after Kimmel’s suspension, it was reported that the comedian and his legal team were in talks with Disney to bring him back on the air. Sinclair Broadcasting did issue a list of demands if Disney wanted their stations to air his show, including an apology to Charlie Kirk’s family, but Mr. Kimmel reportedly refused to apologize, saying that his comments were being “mischaracterized,” and that he would not “kowtow to the outrage.”
On September 22, five days after his suspension, Disney announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be returning to the airwaves on September 23, with no mention of meeting the demands set forth by Sinclair.
Unfortunately, despite reinstating Mr. Kimmel, Disney is still dealing with a lot of backlash from all sides.
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Upon announcing Mr. Kimmel’s return, Sinclair and NexStar said that they would not air the show on any of the 66 ABC affiliate stations they own.
However, that might not be Disney’s biggest battle, with the call coming from inside the house.
According to a report from Semafor, a group of Disney shareholders has accused the Mouse House of “breaching its fiduciary responsibility to investors” by prioritizing “improper political and affiliate considerations.”
“Although we are pleased that ABC did the right thing and put Jimmy Kimmel back on the air last night, due to the Trump administration’s continued threats to free speech, including with respect to ABC, we are writing to seek transparency into the initial decision to suspend him and his show,” the letter said.
“There is a credible basis to suspect that the Board and executives may have breached their fiduciary duties of loyalty, care, and good faith by placing improper political or affiliate considerations above the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.”
Related: Jimmy Kimmel’s Removal: Disney’s Business Decision To Take the Late Night Host off the Air
Since The Walt Disney Company is legally based in Delaware, shareholders are allowed to demand to see “corporate books and records” to investigate any potential wrongdoings, which could lead to a potential lawsuit.
Now, there are limits to the type of documentation this group of shareholders — which includes the American Federation of Teachers and Reporters Without Borders. Semafor states that the groups can have access to matters involving Disney’s board of directors. However, they cannot access “day-to-day management decisions made by company executives.” This means they would be unable to see communications between people like Bob Iger, Dana Walden, and Jimmy Kimmel.
Related: Donald Trump Tells ABC Reporter, He’ll “Probably Go After You”
The groups appear aware of the rules and have only requested information from the board of directors. They want to know how much Kimmel’s suspension affected the company financially, and how executives will make decisions based on “politically sensitive programming” in the future.
The group wants any materials that estimate the effect of Kimmel’s suspension on Disney’s revenue, as well as documents that lay out how executives are supposed to make decisions around “politically sensitive programming.” It also wants copies of Disney’s agreements with affiliate networks Nexstar and Sinclair, whose initial threats to black out Kimmel’s show appear to have sparked his suspension; emails between board members, including CEO Bob Iger; and any communications between the company and federal government or political organizations.
The group claimed that Disney was “complicit in succumbing to the government overreach,” which ultimately hurt the company and its shareholders.
“The fallout from suspending Jimmy Kimmel Live! sparked criticism as an attack on free speech, triggered boycotts and union support for Mr. Kimmel, and caused Disney’s stock to plummet amid fears of brand damage and concerns that Disney was complicit in succumbing to the government overreach and media censorship.”
During Mr. Kimmel’s suspension, Disney’s stock fell just over 2%, equalling about $4.4 billion.
In its letter, the group stated that Disney had five days to supply them with the information they requested, or they would file a lawsuit to get it.
Do Disney’s shareholders have a right to be angry about how pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air negatively affected the company and its stock price? Do you understand why they are requesting information from the board of directors? Are you glad to see Jimmy Kimmel back on TV? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!