Although ABC is bringing Jimmy Kimmel back on Tuesday night, Sinclair and Nexstar - which together own nearly a third of ABC affiliate stations in the US - said they won't air Kimmel's show and will instead show local news. ABC had suspended Jimmy Kimmel "indefinitely" last week for his comments about Charlie Kirk's killer after pushback from Sinclair and Nexstar and pressure from FCC chair Brendan Carr, who warned he might review local broadcast licenses if stations kept airing the show.
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. 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. Nexstar has 32 ABC affiliates among its 200 stations nationwide.