For generations, Americans have trusted the television as more than just a glowing box in the living room. It was where families gathered, where people heard the news, where citizens believed they were seeing an honest reflection of their country. But what millions did not see is that television has long been less a mirror and more a filter. The airwaves were never neutral. They were carefully managed, curated, and controlled.
The recent controversy over ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! exposes just how deeply that control runs. ABC suspended Kimmel after a monologue following the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk. The network later announced his return, but two of the nation’s largest broadcast owners, Sinclair and Nexstar, refused to air the show. On top of that, the FCC itself weighed in, suggesting that stations carrying Kimmel might face “consequences” unless his conduct was altered.
On the surface, this looks like one more clash in the entertainment world. In reality, it is a reminder of something bigger: for decades, Americans who believe in faith, family, and freedom have watched their voices pushed aside, while the airwaves have been dominated by a narrow cultural mindset. Kimmel’s case may be unusual, but the imbalance it reveals is nothing new.
A History of One-Sided Control
The television industry has long been dominated by executives and advertisers who operate from one worldview. Since the cultural revolution of the 1960s, traditional voices have been boxed out. Faith-based programs were shuffled off to Sunday mornings or tiny independent stations. Family-oriented dramas rooted in biblical or patriotic values rarely survived long. Meanwhile, shows that promoted secularism or mocked tradition were elevated to prime time.
News followed the same pattern. Anchors presented themselves as neutral, but the framing of their stories treated traditional values as outdated while presenting progressive cultural norms as inevitable. This wasn’t accidental — it was the worldview of those making the decisions.
Corporate sponsors reinforced this system. Advertising dollars flowed toward content that pushed one cultural direction, while shows that reflected faith or patriotism were starved of funding. This wasn’t a matter of viewers rejecting those programs — often they had strong grassroots support — it was advertisers and executives deciding which voices deserved to survive.
The Fairness Doctrine’s Shadow
The FCC’s Fairness Doctrine, repealed in 1987, made the imbalance even worse. It required broadcasters to provide “balance” on controversial issues, but in practice it was used to dilute or muzzle strong voices who spoke for faith and liberty. Meanwhile, secular cultural assumptions built into dramas and comedies escaped the same scrutiny.
The repeal allowed talk radio to explode, with millions of Americans tuning in to voices they’d never heard before. But television never shifted. Even without the doctrine, executives continued rejecting pro-life ads, canceling faith-driven dramas, and pushing commentators off the air if they strayed too far from the approved cultural script.
The doctrine was gone, but the mindset remained.
Selective Outrage
The hypocrisy is easy to see. When entertainers mocked people of faith, it was celebrated as satire. When a show normalized progressive cultural values, it was called “groundbreaking.” But when someone openly defended family, tradition, or the unborn, suddenly it was “too divisive” for prime time.
That double standard has kept millions of Americans from seeing their own values reflected on the public airwaves. They have been told their voices are “too controversial,” not because audiences rejected them, but because gatekeepers decided they should not be heard.
The Kimmel Affair as Proof
Jimmy Kimmel has never been a champion of faith or tradition. For years, he has mocked the very values many Americans hold dear. Yet his suspension and blackout show how the machine works. When his monologue rattled the establishment, the network pulled him, affiliates silenced him, and regulators applied pressure.
What he is experiencing now is what freedom-minded Americans have faced for decades. Ministries denied airtime. Pro-life organizations barred from advertising. Family-friendly dramas canceled. Commentators removed under pressure campaigns. Kimmel’s case is proof that no one is safe once the machinery of censorship is built — not even those who once benefitted from it.
The Only Legitimate Censorship
In a free republic, the only force that should decide what thrives on television is the people themselves. If a show fails because audiences don’t watch, then it fades. If advertisers walk away because viewers don’t buy, then it dies. That is not censorship — that is capitalism, the natural outcome of free choices in a free marketplace.
What we should never accept is censorship by government regulators, by corporate executives playing cultural referee, or by political pressure campaigns that silence voices before the people ever get to decide. The only censorship America should tolerate is the most natural one: the remote control in the hands of the citizen, and the wallet in the hands of the consumer.
That’s the way it was supposed to work. That’s the way liberty works.
When Capitalism Was Ignored
Unfortunately, recent history shows us that even capitalism has been overruled when gatekeepers dislike what the people choose.
Take Duck Dynasty. At its peak, it was one of the most watched shows in cable history, with more than 11 million viewers. It celebrated family, faith, and traditional values. Yet controversy erupted when one of the stars spoke openly about his beliefs. Instead of standing with the audience that had made the show a juggernaut, the network suspended him, signaling that cultural politics mattered more than ratings. The people had spoken, but executives overrode them.
Or consider Last Man Standing, the sitcom starring Tim Allen. The show consistently delivered strong ratings for ABC, with a loyal middle-American audience. Yet it was canceled abruptly in 2017, despite outperforming other programs that were renewed. The official explanation was scheduling. The real reason, many argued, was that the show reflected values out of step with network executives. Once again, capitalism said “yes,” but cultural gatekeepers said “no.”
The case of The Chosen is even more striking. This faith-based drama became a global phenomenon through crowdfunding, with millions of viewers worldwide. At first, major distributors ignored it, assuming no one wanted to watch a series about Jesus and His disciples. Only after grassroots support made it undeniable did Hollywood step in to distribute it. The people proved there was hunger for faith-centered storytelling, but the system refused to listen until it had no choice.
And then there is Roseanne. When the iconic sitcom was rebooted in 2018, it delivered one of the highest-rated premieres in modern television history. More than 18 million viewers tuned in. The show tapped into an audience long ignored by the cultural establishment — working-class Americans who wanted to see themselves represented on screen. But after one offensive tweet from its star, ABC canceled the entire series overnight. Millions of loyal viewers were punished, and one of the biggest hits of the decade was silenced. In this case, the people’s overwhelming support meant nothing. The network decided its cultural priorities mattered more than capitalism, more than ratings, and more than the audience it was supposed to serve.
These examples prove the point: even when the people vote with their viewership and dollars, the managers of culture sometimes refuse to listen. They step in not to protect profits, but to protect ideology. And in doing so, they betray the very spirit of capitalism — and the trust of the American people.
Why All Americans Should Care
This is not about liking Jimmy Kimmel or disliking him. It is about whether the American people still get to decide what ideas are allowed to compete in the public square. If networks, advertisers, and regulators collude to narrow the field, then liberty is lost.
Free speech doesn’t mean “speech I agree with.” It means speech for everyone. Once we allow censorship to creep in, it always expands. Today it silences a comedian. Yesterday it silenced a pastor. Tomorrow it could silence you.
The Stakes for the Republic
If we continue down this road, the airwaves will reflect less and less of the real America. Regulators will police commentary. Corporations will weaponize sponsorship. Networks will keep narrowing the boundaries of debate. And the people will be left with a distorted picture of their own nation.
The Constitution is clear. The First Amendment was written to protect speech that challenges the powerful. If it only protects voices that flatter those in charge, then it protects nothing at all.
A Call to Guardians of Liberty
The American people must reclaim the airwaves. The airwaves belong to us — not to bureaucrats, not to advertisers, not to executives in glass towers. If they refuse to represent all voices, then we must build our own platforms and support them with the strength of our numbers and our dollars.
But we must also hold fast to principle. Even when we disagree with what someone says, we must defend their right to say it. Because in defending their right, we defend our own.
The Craig Bushon Show Media Team stands firm on The Truth Is Not Hate Speech. For too long, those who believe in faith, family, and freedom have been told their views are too “controversial” for the public square. That was never true. The only real test of a message should be whether the people want to hear it — not whether executives approve of it.
America was built on liberty, not gatekeeping. And liberty means letting the people, through their choices, decide what voices rise and fall. That is the only censorship this country should ever accept.
Disclaimer: This opinion piece reflects the views of the Craig Bushon Show Media Team. All references to public figures, companies, or events are for commentary and educational purposes. Sources include reporting from Reuters, Al Jazeera, Axios, and The Guardian.
