\n The Jimmy Kimmel tug-of-war was about free speech, yes, but it was also about the free market.\n <\/p>\n
\n This week\u2019s restoration of Kimmel\u2019s show<\/a> was partly the result of consumer pushback to the late-night show\u2019s preemption.\n <\/p>\n \n Feedback from angry viewers, wary advertisers, and frustrated employees all weighed on the executives who ultimately brought the show back on the air despite President Trump\u2019s menacing remarks about Kimmel.\n <\/p>\n \n The week-long drama is proof that consumers \u201chave extraordinary power,\u201d former labor secretary Robert Reich wrote<\/a> in an essay.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cWhen our outrage translates into withholding our consumer dollars, a big corporation like Disney is forced to listen \u2014 and respond,\u201d Reich wrote, urging readers to \u201cremember this\u201d for next time.\n <\/p>\n \n Owners of local TV stations also felt the pressure. Employees at some stations reported being inundated with phone calls from irritated Kimmel fans.\n <\/p>\n \n Even after Disney reinstated Kimmel\u2019s show on Tuesday, two local TV giants refused to air the show on dozens of ABC-affiliated stations. But both companies, Sinclair and Nexstar, folded on Friday without anything obvious to show for it.\n <\/p>\n \n The highly unusual blackout highlighted longstanding tensions<\/a> between local affiliates and national networks \u2014 as well as the limited power of the affiliates.\n <\/p>\n \n The relationship is governed by legal contracts known as affiliate agreements. While local owners can choose to preempt some national programming, those \u201cright to reject\u201d instances are usually one-offs, not related to a politically charged protest.\n <\/p>\n \n A lengthy preemption of a show like \u201cJimmy Kimmel Live!\u201d would have left Disney examining its legal options and seeking other affiliate partners in the affected local markets.\n <\/p>\n Disney\u2019s upper hand<\/p>\n \n But Disney held most of the cards in this dispute, despite the Trump administration\u2019s TV regulator Brendan Carr\u2019s public support for Nexstar and Sinclair.\n <\/p>\n \n Carr propelled the Kimmel controversy<\/a> on Sept. 17 by condemning the comedian\u2019s remarks in the wake of Charlie Kirk\u2019s assassination. Carr also threatened Disney, which raised eyebrows given that companies like Nexstar need his approval to acquire more stations. When Nexstar and Sinclair said they would preempt Kimmel\u2019s show, Carr praised them, claiming the station owners were being \u201cresponsive to the needs and values of the local communities you serve.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n The ensuing backlash spurred free speech protests not just outside Disney\u2019s offices, but also at some of the stations owned by Nexstar and Sinclair.\n <\/p>\n