Sinclair Broadcasting has confirmed that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to its 38 ABC affiliate stations starting Friday, following a brief suspension.
The announcement comes after Disney reinstated Kimmel earlier this week, ending his temporary removal from the late-night lineup.
The program had been replaced with “news programming” on Sinclair’s stations even after the suspension was lifted. According to Variety, Sinclair will begin the reinstatement with a rerun of Kimmel’s Tuesday episode.
The controversy began when FCC Chairman Brendan Carr criticized Kimmel over a joke referencing the alleged shooter of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. Soon after, both Sinclair and fellow broadcaster Nexstar pulled the show from their affiliates, and Disney issued a suspension.
In its statement, Sinclair emphasized that its decision to preempt Kimmel was not the result of government pressure. “Our decision to preempt this program was independent of any government interaction or influence,” the company said. “Free speech provides broadcasters with the right to exercise judgment as to the content on their local stations.”
The broadcaster also revealed that it has discussed accountability measures with ABC, including the possible creation of a network-wide independent ombudsman to oversee viewer feedback. While ABC and Disney have not yet adopted these measures, Sinclair said it believes such steps could “strengthen trust and accountability” in programming.
Nexstar, which owns about 30 ABC affiliates, has not confirmed whether it will resume airing Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Disney has not commented further on the reinstatement.
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