John Oliver Blasts Nexstar, Sinclair Over FCC Censorship in Fiery ‘Last Week Tonight’ Segment

After his triumphant evening at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards where he clinched awards for Outstanding Scripted Variety Series and Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series, John Oliver was back at it on this week’s episode of Last Week Tonight.

The witty host didn’t hold back in his criticism of Nexstar and Sinclair, accusing them of needing to remove Brendan Carr’s “dick from their mouth” to execute what he suggested was an FCC-endorsed plan targeting Jimmy Kimmel.

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“We took a break last week, and plenty has unfolded since our previous episode,” Oliver started, before delving into events including Trump’s state visit to the U.K., highlighted by protestors casting an image of Trump with Jeffrey Epstein onto Windsor Castle.

“This actually makes me quite proud of the nation I fear being deported back to after tonight’s episode airs,” he joked. “Now, let’s dive into our main story tonight.”

Oliver updated his viewers on the news that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be “suspended indefinitely,” a move widely criticized as a suppression of free speech following the FCC’s caution regarding Kimmel’s comments about Charlie Kirk.

As Nexstar endeavors to expand by acquiring rival Tegna, Oliver stated, “It’s clear Nexstar is desperate for FCC approval. So it’s hardly shocking that they quickly complied when Carr explicitly suggested pulling Kimmel off the air or facing repercussions.”

“Essentially, Brendan Carr commanded ‘jump,’ and Nexstar briefly removed his dick from their mouth just to ask, ‘How high exactly?'” Oliver added, pointing out that Sinclair was quick to follow, also eyeing mergers needing FCC’s green light.

“This entire sequence of events couldn’t be more transparent, executed openly,” Oliver commented. “Carr pressured broadcasters to drop Kimmel. They obliged, often explicitly mentioning Carr while doing so, and then Carr celebrated with a cheeky GIF. It’s a blatant example of governmental coercion in censorship. And Trump isn’t even attempting to conceal it.”

Oliver then reassured that being on HBO, which is not a broadcast network, positions them “much less susceptible to FCC pressure,” celebrating, “That’s obviously fantastic news for us, and I don’t foresee this changing anytime soon.”

The show then featured segments on the news regarding Paramount’s potential acquisition of Warner Bros., peppered with Oliver’s trademark expletive-filled commentary.

Notably, activist Kirk, known for his ‘Prove Me Wrong’ debates and MAGA stance, was fatally shot at Utah Valley University on September 10, a situation that has reverberated across political and media landscapes.

Previously critiquing Trump’s opinions on the NFL and TikTok, Kimmel bluntly discussed the fallout from Kirk’s death in his September 15 monologue: “We witnessed some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA crowd desperately trying to portray the murderer of Charlie Kirk as something other than one of their own, all while scrambling to gain political advantage from this tragedy.”