McGovern questions Nexstar over Jimmy Kimmel preemption
SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern has questions for Nexstar, the media company that owns local NBC affiliate WWLP Channel 22.
Days after Nexstar announced it would replace "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on its networks over comments Kimmel made about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the Democrat representing the state's 2nd Congressional District described the company's decision as "alarming."
McGovern sent officials at Nexstar a letter Friday, saying he was reassessing "whether this company's values are aligned with my own." He added that the company preempted Kimmel's show to punish his speech, a move that affected the local affiliate, WWLP.
The lawmaker asked the company to provide details about how and why it decided to preempt the show and whether it plans to remove content from its television stations that criticizes the Trump administration.
"Is it the position of Nexstar that any content that criticizes Mr. Kirk is no longer welcome on owned and partner television stations, including criticism from members of Congress who may want to express disagreement with his views moving forward?" McGovern wrote.
McGovern asked Nexstar to answer his questions by Oct. 3.
Robert Simone, vice president and general manager at WWLP, directed questions about McGovern's letter to a Nexstar spokesperson.
The spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions, including whether Nexstar would run "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on its stations after ABC announced Monday that the show would return to the air Tuesday.
Nexstar, which owns or partners with 200 stations across the U.S., is one of the largest owners of ABC-affiliated television stations.
It's decision to pull Kimmel's show has raised eyebrows over its timing. Last month, Nexstar announced it intended to purchase rival media company Tegna, a deal that would cost $6.2 billion and require the Federal Communications Commission to change the rules surrounding television ownership.
After Nexstar announced it was pulling Kimmel's show, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr wrote on social media, "I want to thank Nexstar for doing the right thing."
McGovern's letter comes after a dozen Democratic senators — including U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass. — requested that Carr testify about his statements surrounding Kimmel and Nexstar.
In their letter Friday to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, the Republican from Texas who chairs the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, the senators said Carr threatened to use his commission's "regulatory power" to pressure media companies into firing Kimmel.
"As the committee with jurisdiction over the FCC, it is our constitutional duty to conduct oversight over this matter and demand Chairman Carr answer for this unprecedented attack on the First Amendment," the senators' letter says.
McGovern said in a statement announcing his letter that Carr's statements were unconstitutional and corrupt, and that he did not trust Nexstar to steward its airwaves fairly and independently.
"Local TV stations have a responsibility to serve the public interest — not advance political vendettas against those who express opinions the government doesn't like," McGovern's statement said.
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