Our title is the quote that former ABC Daytime executive Brian Frons gave to the industry publication The Wrap about the predicament that Disney/ABC faces with the future of Jimmy Kimmel’s suspended late-night talk show, “Jimmy Kimmel Live."

And we think he is understating it a bit.

Will the ABC television network go out of business if it knuckles under to pressure from the FCC and some of its own affiliates? Unlikely. Will there be a fatal backlash if ABC brings back Kimmel in the days to come—and he promises to be on his “best behavior?” Probably not. (Though he probably wouldn’t.) Will things die down and get back to normal if ABC continues to remain silent? Absolutely not. Will a boycott of all things Disney gain momentum, leading to significant cancellations of Disney+, reduced attendance at the theme parks, or other economic impacts on the company’s bottom line? Improbable.

What do we think could be the most likely outcome of this sad chapter in broadcasting history? 

The nature of the relationship between the broadcast networks and their affiliated stations will likely change, probably significantly—and forever.

A little history is appropriate at this moment. Networks have been around since the late 1920s, when they became the linkage between the nascent radio stations that were popping up across the nation. From KDKA’s first commercial broadcast in November of 1920 covering the returns of the election for President of the United States (which ironically enough was between Warren G. Harding and James M. Cox. The latter lending his last name to the media company that still goes by it) through the rest of the decade, radio stations were being licensed and put on the air at a growing pace.

Initially, those stations all featured their own programming, generated locally from makeshift studios that saw a stream of performers, musicians, politicians, and even members of the public. The quality of the programs ranged from relatively professional and polished—to anything but. The American Telephone & Telegraph company (AT&T) created the first radio network, then called a “chain”, by linking together stations in the Northeastern U.S. using specially developed long-distance telephone lines. The chain was centered around AT&T’s flagship station in New York City, WEAF (which is now known as WFAN). The chain grew slowly, with only 26 stations connected by 1925.

At the same time, the Radio Corporation of America launched its own radio network, led by the company’s New York City station, WJZ (now WABC).  The RCA network was considered inferior because AT&T would only lease lower-quality telegraph lines to the upstart competitor. In 1926, AT&T decided to leave the less profitable radio business to concentrate on its primary product, telephones. It would sell its radio network to RCA, which would form the National Broadcasting Company. NBC would turn the WEAF-based chain into the NBC Red Network and the WJZ-led chain into the NBC Blue Network.

With that, the network business was off and running.

The early history of the radio networks, as NBC would be joined by CBS, Mutual, ABC, and others, is well documented by Erik Barnouw’s impeccable three-volume history of broadcasting in the United States. The 2nd volume, titled “The Golden Web,” centers on the growth of radio and, in turn, the radio networks from the years 1933 to 1953. In the foreword of the book, Barnouw tackles the question: “What Is A Network?"

“In a way it is—strangely enough— almost nothing, a phantom. It is mainly a tissue of contracts by which a number of stations are linked in operation. The linkage has been done largely through leased telephone cables, which the entrepreneur, the “network,” does not own. Each of the stations so linked uses an air channel which is a public resource and which neither network nor station can own.” Barnouw continues with, “Thus networks as businesses would seem to rest on the flimsiest foundations. Yet they have become a major power center—having in an age of American hegemony, world-wide ramifications."

While you might find Barnouw’s language a little too stately, his points are still relevant in 2025. And it is the “tissue of contracts” that he refers to that is being tested in this moment, as the controversy of ABC’s decision to take Jimmy Kimmel’s weeknight program off the air has no good outcome in sight.

Putting aside for the moment the existential questions of government influence on free speech and a free press, there are the business concerns that stem from the apparent stalemate between ABC and its affiliated stations—at least those owned by the two large players in Nexstar Media and Sinclair Broadcast Group. Both of them announced that they would not air “Jimmy Kimmel Live” as long as the namesake host was in the host chair, at least until the network made some changes. While Nexstar was not specific on what changes it would require to return to carrying the program, Sinclair demanded publicly that Kimmel apologize and make a financial donation to “Turning Point USA,” the political organization founded by the late Charlie Kirk.

Because we live in a country that is sharply divided by ideology to the point of extremism on both sides, there are many strong opinions about what should happen next. And at the center of deciding is one CEO, who has been notable throughout his career in navigating his image-conscious company through tricky public relations crises.

It could be argued that this might be the trickiest moment that Bob Iger has ever faced.

And that’s because as we noted earlier, there is no path forward that does not displease some vital constituency, be it the creative community that Disney employs and contracts with to create all of its offerings, or the federal government, that licenses both the eight local television stations that ABC owns, as well as the nearly 250 stations that are affiliates of the ABC television network.

Not to mention the millions of customers of the many divisions of The Walt Disney Company empire. Including, of course, the Galactic Empire ruled by Emperor Palpatine in the “Star Wars” saga. We’re assuming that right about now, Mr. Iger wishes that he had some Jedi-like abilities to get out of this cliffhanger.

And even though this episode is about the relationship between ABC and its affiliates, in markets large and small, the reality is that the larger saga playing out will likely impact all of the broadcast networks in the months and years ahead. The apparent connection was quickly made to this year’s earlier dramas with Paramount-CBS, and their abrupt announcement of the final season for Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show.”  The future for Comcast-NBC’s late-night offerings in “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers” is uncertain at best, especially after the Commander-in-Chief called for them to be next on social media.

What the networks will offer in place of the current programming in the late time period is a significant question for the affiliates, especially when each of those stations hands over a considerable amount of the money it makes just for the “privilege” of carrying their network throughout each day. And they do so with the growing knowledge that if they don’t want to hand over more of their revenues in future contract negotiations, their “loyal partners” at each network will not hesitate to take their affiliation to another station in any local market. (Ask Atlanta’s WANF and Miami’s WPLG about how that might happen.)

Or what if the networks decide to skip having affiliates altogether and stream their offerings “direct to consumer(s)”?  Given how the audience is moving, it isn’t that far-fetched an idea. 

So yes, we await all of the week’s developments right along with you. And whether or not that “tissue” that author Barnouw referenced will survive the current mess, which certainly needs to be cleaned up.

And soon.

UPDATE: About an hour after we first published this column, Disney/ABC announced that it was returning “Jimmy Kimmel Live” from suspension beginning Tuesday night, September 23rd at its regular time. What follows that announcement will certainly be the subject of future coverage here on TVND.com

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