Nexstar Media Group has confirmed it will not air Jimmy Kimmel Live! on its ABC affiliates, joining Sinclair Broadcast Group in refusing to carry the late-night program following Jimmy Kimmel’s controversial comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The decision comes after Disney announced Monday that it would resume airing new episodes of the late-night talk show. Nexstar, which operates 28 ABC-affiliated stations, said it would continue preempting the program. “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,” the company said in a statement. “We stand by that decision pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve.”
Sinclair, which owns 38 ABC affiliates, made a similar move, announcing it would replace Jimmy Kimmel Live! with local news programming. Both decisions combined mean nearly one-third of the approximately 240 ABC stations nationwide will not air the show for the foreseeable future.
Disney had initially suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! after pressure from Nexstar, Sinclair, and comments from FCC chair Brendan Carr, who suggested the agency could investigate “news distortion” complaints unless the show was pulled. The network later said it reinstated the program after discussions with Kimmel, acknowledging that while the remarks were “ill-timed and thus insensitive,” the host would return to air.
For now, the late-night program will remain available through Disney-owned streaming platforms, while Nexstar and Sinclair stations focus on local news and alternative programming.
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