Nearly 70 ABC Stations Won't Broadcast Jimmy Kimmel's Return Tonight
"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" is coming back Tuesday night after nearly a weeklong suspension — but roughly a quarter of ABC stations won’t air the return.
Two of ABC’s biggest affiliate owners, Nexstar and Sinclair, which collectively own nearly 70 stations, and carry the network in markets like Washington, D.C., Seattle, Indianapolis, and Nashville, said they are still evaluating whether to resume broadcasting the show.
INSIDE THE MOVE
Nexstar said Tuesday it would withhold Kimmel “pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue.” Sinclair, the first to announce the move after Disney, which owns ABC, confirmed Kimmel’s return Monday, said talks were “ongoing.”
Rewind: The fallout stems from Kimmel’s Sept. 15 monologue linking Charlie Kirk’s accused killer to President Trump’s MAGA movement. Two days later, FCC Chair Brendan Carr warned affiliates that airing Kimmel could put their broadcast licenses at risk. That threat prompted major station groups like Nexstar and Sinclair to drop the show, and then Disney to pull it all together.
But, Disney faced consumer backlash for the move. Some subscribers reported Disney’s cancellation portal briefly crashed under demand.
Other late-night hosts rallied behind Kimmel, with NBC’s Seth Meyers saying the controversy had triggered “a massive national backlash to Trump’s crackdown on free speech, even among conservatives.”
📺 Kimmel has not publicly commented on the events, but is expected to in his opening monologue tonight. The show starts at 11:35 p.m. ET.