The Dramatists Guild Releases Statement on ABC's Decision to Pull Jimmy Kimmel

The Dramatists Guild has released a statement following ABC's recent decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air indefinitely. The statement condemns the decision to take Kimmel's talk show off the air, standing in solidarity with him and his writers.

As the professional trade association for playwrights, librettists, lyricists, and composers, the Dramatists Guild of America works to protect and advance the rights of all theatre writers across the country.

"The Dramatists Guild of America stands in solidarity with Jimmy Kimmel and his writers. We condemn any and all threats against freedom of speech made by the current administration and the FCC chair.

It is one thing for the government to threaten ABC's broadcasting license because they don't like what was said on the public airwaves, and quite another for a major media company to bow down to such an abuse of authority.

The Dramatists Guild is built on the principle of the writers' full creative freedom and agency, and the 1st amendment rights guaranteed to everyone in the Constitution.

Attacking the media and silencing its critics is the first strategy of all oppressive authoritarian regimes. When it happens, it needs to be called out and confronted and we support the statement from the Writers Guild of America and many others for doing just that."

With over 10,000 members around the world, the Guild is guided by a governing council of writers who each give their time, interest and support to advance the rights of dramatists everywhere, including the right for dramatists to own and control their own copyrighted work. The Guild’s advocacy, programs, events, publications, and other services provide dramatists with the resources, the community, and the support they require to protect their property, their livelihoods, and their unique voices in the American theatre.

The Dramatists Guild Legal Defense Fund (DLDF) advocates and educates on behalf of the right of free speech on stages across America. The DLDF advocates for more speech, not less, and believes that there should be discussion around why a theatrical work is complex instead of canceling a production. If your school show has been canceled, the DLDF can help you figure out your options for moving forward. The DLDF can find alternative spaces where students can perform canceled shows, send authors of canceled shows to the community for a panel discussion, send letters to schools and town officials encouraging them to remount canceled shows, find legal assistance for those who want to take the matter to court, and more.