ABC’s decision to bring back “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after a brief suspension has hit a roadblock. Two major TV station groups, Nexstar, and Sinclair, announced they will not air Kimmel’s show when it returns Tuesday night, affecting about a quarter of ABC’s local affiliates across the country.
The controversy began after Kimmel’s September 15 monologue where he commented on the response to conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death. Kimmel said the “MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”
These remarks triggered swift backlash. Nexstar, which owns roughly 32 ABC affiliates in markets including Salt Lake City, Nashville and New Orleans, was first to pull the show from its stations. Sinclair, with approximately 30-38 ABC stations, quickly followed suit.
ABC initially suspended the show indefinitely last Wednesday, describing Kimmel’s comments as “ill-timed and thus insensitive.” The network said the pause was meant “to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.”
On Monday, September 22, ABC announced Kimmel would return on Tuesday after what it called “thoughtful conversations with Jimmy.” But hours later, Sinclair declared it would continue preempting the show, replacing it with news programming. Nexstar made a similar announcement Tuesday morning.
“We made a decision last week to preempt ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ following what ABC referred to as Mr. Kimmel’s ‘ill-timed and insensitive’ comments at a critical time in our national discourse,” Nexstar stated. “We stand by that decision pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue.”
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Both companies noted that viewers can still watch Kimmel on Disney-owned streaming platforms.
The standoff raises financial and viewership concerns. Nexstar and Sinclair stations represent a significant source of advertising revenue for Kimmel’s show, while the preemption affects a substantial portion of ABC’s broadcast reach.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr escalated the situation by suggesting potential “remedies” the agency could consider. Carr characterized Kimmel’s comments as part of a “concerted effort to lie to the American people.”
The suspension sparked significant backlash from entertainment industry figures. More than 400 Hollywood stars signed a letter condemning what they saw as threats to free speech. Fellow late-night host Seth Meyers defended Kimmel, saying, “This is a big moment in our democracy, and we must all stand up for the principles of free expression.”
Even some Trump allies expressed concerns about government interference in broadcasting. Senator Ted Cruz called it “unbelievably dangerous for government to put itself in the position of saying we’re going to decide what speech we like and what we don’t.”
President Trump praised ABC’s initial suspension but framed it as a business decision based on ratings, not government intervention.
Anna Gomez, the lone Democrat on the FCC’s leadership commission, addressed the situation: “It will continue to be up to us as citizens to push back against this administration’s growing campaign of censorship and control.”
The National Association of Broadcasters released a statement defending TV stations’ editorial freedom while opposing “veiled threats” of government interference in broadcasting decisions.
As of Tuesday morning, Disney has not publicly responded to the affiliate groups’ decisions to block Kimmel’s return.
