Jimmy Kimmel Live! is returning to Sinclair ABC affiliates Friday night, the station group announced in a lengthy statement.
Nexstar Media Group, which has also been preempting the show for more than a week, has not said whether it would restore it but earlier this week reported having had “productive” talks with ABC and Disney. Kimmel was suspended by Disney after the stations yanked his late-night show, citing a joke he made September 17 about Trump supporters’ reaction to the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The major station owner said it is restoring the show after making proposals for various measures, including the installation of a “network-wide independent ombudsman” at ABC. These proposals were suggested as “collaborative efforts” with Disney and ABC, and as yet the network has not agreed to implement them.
The two station groups together represent nearly one-quarter of ABC households in the U.S. Major markets that will get Kimmel back include Washington, D.C., Seattle and St. Louis. On Nexstar, 24 stations in markets including Nashville and Salt Lake City are for today still dark with Kimmel.
“Our objective throughout this process has been to ensure that programming remains accurate and engaging for the widest possible audience,” Sinclair said. “We take seriously our responsibility as local broadcasters to provide programming that serves the interests of our communities, while also honoring our obligations to air national network programming.”
Kimmel’s benching came hours after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr openly threatened retaliation against Disney on a podcast and continued to go on the attack on social media. President Trump has gone after Kimmel repeatedly before, during and after his suspension. Most recently, he declared that he could pursue legal action against ABC and Disney for alleged violations of campaign finance laws related to having Kimmel on air.
After days of suspense and a broader societal discussion of freedom of speech and government regulation of the media in the Trump era, ABC opted to restore the show at the start of this week. Its first night back, on Tuesday, drew more than 6 million viewers even without the Sinclair and Nexstar affiliates.
“Over the last week, we have received thoughtful feedback from viewers, advertisers, and community leaders representing a wide range of perspectives,” Sinclair’s statement continued. “We have also witnessed troubling acts of violence, including the despicable incident of a shooting at an ABC affiliate station in Sacramento. These events underscore why responsible broadcasting matters and why respectful dialogue between differing voices remains so important.
“In our ongoing and constructive discussions with ABC, Sinclair proposed measures to strengthen accountability, viewer feedback, and community dialogue, including a network-wide independent ombudsman. These proposals were suggested as collaborative efforts between the ABC affiliates and the ABC network. While ABC and Disney have not yet adopted these measures, and Sinclair respects their right to make those decisions under our network affiliate agreements, we believe such measures could strengthen trust and accountability.”
Sinclair also insisted that its decision to preempt the show was “independent of any government interaction or influence,” echoing a point Nexstar has also made. Both stations have a vested interest in staying in the good graces of Trump and the FCC. Nexstar has proposed acquiring rival Tegna in a $6.2 billion offer that would blow through existing limits on TV station ownership.
Free speech works both ways, Sinclair maintained. It covers media figures like Kimmel, but also “provides broadcasters with the right to exercise judgment as to the content on their local stations. While we understand that not everyone will agree with our decisions about programming, it is simply inconsistent to champion free speech while demanding that broadcasters air specific content.”
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