Nexstar Media Group has reinstated Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, on its local TV stations, ending a brief blackout affecting numerous cities across the United States. This decision follows a suspension imposed by both Nexstar and Sinclair Broadcast Group due to comments Kimmel made after the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The show will return to Nexstar’s ABC affiliates in 28 cities, along with 38 Sinclair-operated stations spanning markets from Seattle to Washington, DC.
The controversy began when Kimmel’s remarks prompted backlash, particularly from Sinclair, which publicly called for an apology from Kimmel and suggested he make a donation to Turning Point USA, the organisation Kirk founded. Despite the criticism, Kimmel expressed his support for Kirk’s family in a social media post and referred to Kirk’s death as a “senseless murder.” Although he did not issue an apology during his return, Kimmel clarified that his intent was never to trivialise the tragedy.
Disney-owned ABC first suspended Kimmel on September 17, influenced in part by potential repercussions suggested by Brendan Carr, the Trump-appointed chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Following this suspension, a significant number of viewers across multiple ABC local affiliates found themselves without access to the show, igniting a national debate about First Amendment rights and perceived media censorship.
In its statement, Sinclair emphasised the importance of addressing community interests while fulfilling obligations to national network programming. The company has faced increased scrutiny due to its conservative stance and its call for Kimmel to apologise drew significant attention. The commentary surrounding Kirk’s killing contributed to heightened tensions regarding political discourse in media.
While Kimmel’s earlier comments primarily focused on criticisms of Donald Trump and his administration’s reaction to Kirk’s death, Carr accused Kimmel of misleading the public. Sinclair’s leadership maintained that their actions against Kimmel had been made independently of government influence, asserting their right to exercise editorial judgment.
Following the reinstatement of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, new episodes will be broadcast Monday through Thursday, with Friday featuring a rerun of Kimmel’s emotional return. Ongoing discussions regarding accountability and feedback with ABC have yet to yield new agreements.
Industry analysts, like Matthew Dolgin from Morningstar, believe Sinclair’s decision was a strategic move to maintain its crucial relationship with Disney. If tensions escalated too severely, it could risk losing access to Disney’s content, a potentially devastating financial blow for both Sinclair and Nexstar.