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Disney executives are reportedly engaged in talks to get Jimmy Kimmel<\/a> back on the air after the late-night host was \u201csuspended indefinitely\u201d on Wednesday (September 17) over comments he made about Charlie Kirk<\/a>\u2018s fatal shooting on Monday\u2019s (September 15) Jimmy Kimmel Live<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n According to Deadline<\/em><\/a>, discord has erupted inside Disney over Kimmel\u2019s suspension, with a series of \u201cmixed face-to-face and virtual meetings\u201d between the company\u2019s top execs and Kimmel and his team taking place throughout Thursday (September 18).<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an ongoing discussion, with a lot of distrust on one side,\u201d an insider told Deadline<\/em>. \u201cThere\u2019s no light at the end of the tunnel \u2014 yet.\u201d<\/p>\n ABC made the decision to suspend<\/a>\u00a0Jimmy Kimmel Live!<\/em>\u00a0after powerful station group Nexstar announced it would preempt the show on its 32 ABC affiliate stations late Wednesday. Sinclair Broadcast Group later announced it would be doing the same on its own affiliate stations.<\/p>\n This came after threats from Trump-appointed Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr earlier in the day, who told right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson<\/a>, \u201cWe can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct and take actions on Kimmel, or there\u2019s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n Per Deadline<\/em>, in addition to Kimmel and his staff, members of the Disney studio and corporate management felt that Disney Entertainment boss Dana Walden and CEO Bob Iger \u201cbent too easily to MAGA pressure yet again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe reaction is like \u2018Don\u2019t Say Gay\u2019 on steroids,\u201d one executive told the outlet, referring to the backlash in 2022 after former CEO Bob Chapek\u2019s initial response to Florida\u2019s 2022 Parental Rights in Education Act\u00a0law, which restricts discussion about sexual orientation and gender identity among kindergarten to 3rd\u00a0Grade in Florida schools.<\/p>\n One Disney exec added, \u201cThis is not how we thought Bob [Iger] would handle this. Senior people told him this is not what we should be doing.\u201d<\/p>\n ABC\u2019s decision has sparked protests outside Disney HQ and the Jimmy Kimmel Live!<\/em> studio. Several Hollywood stars have also spoken out, including Lost<\/em><\/a> co-creator Damon Lindelof<\/a>, who insisted he won\u2019t work with Disney until Kimmel is reinstated, and She-Hulk<\/em><\/a> star Tatiana Maslany<\/a>, who encouraged people to cancel their Disney+ subscriptions.<\/a><\/p>\n Another exec told Deadline<\/em> that long meetings were held on Wednesday about what Kimmel had said about the Kirk shooting and what he planned to say on that night\u2019s show. However, ABC yanked the show off the air before Kimmel had a chance to respond.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s such a betrayal,\u201d the exec stated.<\/p>\n Talks regarding Kimmel\u2019s return to ABC are set to continue today, Friday, September 19.<\/p>\n