On Tuesday, radio host Howard Stern spoke to the audience of Jimmy Kimmel's show, warning ABC that there would be serious consequences if anything were to go wrong with Kimmel’s program. Stern expressed his loyalty towards Kimmel and highlighted the host's dedication to ABC over the years by attending corporate events. This comment comes amid speculations about the future of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", which was briefly suspended in September 2025 due to controversial remarks made by Kimmel, but has since returned for its 4,000th episode.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-30,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Radio host Howard Stern told the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" audience on Tuesday that ABC would have "hell to pay" if something went wrong with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel's show.
asserted
something → tell → show
"I want to say something to ABC if they're watching right now," Stern said, noting he had previously heard rumors about the show and did not know what was true or not.
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what → want → show
"And what I mean by that, this is the truth.
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this → mean → that
For years, I've said to him, you know, he goes to these things.
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he → say → things
ABC has a corporate function where they try to attract advertisers.
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they → have → advertisers
Every year he'd go to what they call the upfronts," Stern said.
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Stern → go → what
The radio host told the audience that Kimmel would always attend the events because ABC needed him to be there.
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him → tell → events
"He has done everything for the company.
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He → do → company
And I hope that they keep that in mind," he said.
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he → hope → mind
I don't know about you, but if something goes wrong, oh, is ABC going to have hell to pay.
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ABC → know → hell
ABC did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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ABC → respond → comment
Reports of Kimmel's show being canceled were dismissed by ABC earlier this month.
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show → cancel → ABC
A spokesperson pushed back on Page Six's report that Kimmel's contract would not be renewed, calling any reports about the future of the late-night show "speculative."
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contract → push → show
"Howard Stern's reign as King of All Media is over in more ways than one," Hollywood in Toto founder Christian Toto told Fox News Digital in a statement about Stern's remarks.
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Toto → tell → remarks
"The man who once stood tall for free speech went silent during the woke culture wars.
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who → stand → wars
Now, he's rushing to a multi-millionaire's defense, someone whose show is likely costing ABC dearly.
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show → rush → ABC
"
"That explains why the network needs a drastic budget reduction to keep ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ on the air," he continued.
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he → explain → air
"If CBS was losing $40 million a year to keep Stephen Colbert employed, imagine what ABC must swallow to appease Kimmel."
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ABC → lose → Kimmel
"The old Stern would have recognized those basic business principles," Toto added.
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Toto → recognize → principles
He's an ultra-rich liberal supporting a fellow ultra-rich liberal while misleading the public on the issues in play."
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He → support → play
Kimmel's show was taken off-air briefly in September 2025 after remarks the late-night host made about Charlie Kirk's assassin.
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host → take → assassin
The liberal late-night personality returned to air a few days later, and has referenced the suspension in frequent jabs directed at President Donald Trump, as well as Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr.
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personality → return → Carr
Kimmel, after returning from his summer break on Sept. 8, jabbed at Carr and said, "We're still here."
The late-night host noted that it was the 4,000th episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"
"We’ve done 4,000 of these.
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We → return → these
Which is, it’s a lot of shows," Kimmel said.
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Kimmel → ’ → shows
"According to the White House, it’s too many shows."
uncertain
it → accord → House
"There are those who said we would never last this long.
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we → be → ?
There are even those who used the regulatory might of the FCC to unconstitutionally try to make sure we didn’t last this long.
uncertain
last → be → FCC
But we did it the hard way, Brendan.
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we → do → it
And we are still here," Kimmel said.
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Kimmel → say → ?
The late-night host had New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on the show Monday night, and questioned him repeatedly about the nature of his relationship with Trump.
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host → have → Trump
The democratic socialist mayor seemed to deflect Kimmel's questions as Mamdani avoided criticizing Trump and rejected the late-night host's request to send him a selfie.
"Did you guys hit it off immediately or is it something that you really went into thinking, like, ‘OK, I need to have a relationship with the president of the United States and I think the best way to do it is to charm him?'
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way → seem → him
How did you do that and can you help me?"
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you → do → me
Kimmel asked Mamdani, calling his relationship with Trump "unexpected."
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Kimmel → ask → Trump
Mamdani responded, "Sorry, brother."
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Mamdani → respond → ?
"The number one thing that we've been speaking about recently has been Sunnyside Yard, which is this idea for decades of building a platform over a rail yard and then building 12,000 homes.
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which → speak → homes
And so, in that moment, you know, that you zoomed in on, I'm just thinking about 12,000 homes, 30,000 jobs, largest housing development since the early 1970s," Mamdani told Kimmel.
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Mamdani → know → Kimmel
Kimmel asked, "When you text him about Sunnyside, are you sure he doesn't think you're texting him about eggs?"
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you → ask → eggs
Mamdani said he was "pretty sure" and noted that the texts were pretty normal and didn't resemble the president's Truth Social posts.
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texts → say → posts
You really have broken through with him," Kimmel said.
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Kimmel → break → him
"I mean listen, you seem to be doing a great job in New York.
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you → mean → York
…and 4 more, not listed.
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