Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group introduced Friday that they’re ending their preemption of Jimmy Kimmel Reside! on their ABC affiliate stations. The late night time present will return to all ABC stations Friday night time.
The choice comes three days after Kimmel’s return to air on ABC, following a virtually week-long suspension by ABC and Disney. The suspension was a results of Republican criticism over Kimmel’s feedback about far-right commentator Charlie Kirk’s killer, which prompted Sinclair and Nexstar to preempt his present on their ABC associates. Kimmel addressed the feedback in his return monologue.
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Disney reversed its determination following backlash over Kimmel’s suspension, together with calls to boycott streaming providers Disney+ and Hulu. Nonetheless, when Kimmel returned to air on Sept. 23, Sinclair and Nexstar have been nonetheless preempting Jimmy Kimmel Reside!, which means that ABC associates they personal — which make up over 25 p.c of the nation’s ABC associates, based on Reuters — wouldn’t be exhibiting the printed.
Now, following Sinclair and Nexstar’s bulletins, all these ABC affiliate stations can be exhibiting Jimmy Kimmel Reside! once more.
Sinclair was the primary of the 2 firms to announce Kimmel’s return. In an announcement launched on Friday about their determination, Sinclair mentioned, “During the last week, we’ve obtained considerate suggestions from viewers, advertisers, and group leaders representing a variety of views. We’ve got additionally witnessed troubling acts of violence, together with the despicable incident of a taking pictures at an ABC affiliate station in Sacramento. These occasions underscore why accountable broadcasting issues and why respectful dialogue between differing voices stays so essential.”
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Sinclair’s assertion went on to deal with the corporate’s discussions with ABC, saying that it had “proposed measures to strengthen accountability, viewer suggestions, and group dialogue, together with a network-wide impartial ombudsman.”
The assertion additionally touched on criticisms of Kimmel’s preemption constituting a politically motivated violation of free speech. In accordance with Sinclair, “Our determination to preempt this program was impartial of any authorities interplay or affect. Free speech offers broadcasters with the best to train judgment as to the content material on their native stations. Whereas we perceive that not everybody will agree with our selections about programming, it’s merely inconsistent to champion free speech whereas demanding that broadcasters air particular content material.”
Hours later, Nexstar introduced that it had additionally reversed its preemption of Jimmy Kimmel Reside!
“We’ve got had discussions with executives at The Walt Disney Firm and recognize their constructive method to addressing our considerations,” Nexstar mentioned in an announcement. “As an area broadcaster, Nexstar stays dedicated to defending the First Modification whereas producing and airing native and nationwide information that’s fact-based and unbiased and, above all, broadcasting content material that’s in the most effective curiosity of the communities we serve. We stand other than cable tv, monolithic streaming providers, and nationwide networks in our dedication — and obligation — to be stewards of the general public airwaves and to guard and mirror the particular sensibilities of our communities. To be clear, our dedication to these ideas has guided our selections all through this course of, impartial of any exterior affect from authorities businesses or people.”
UPDATE: Sep. 26, 2025, 5:18 p.m. EDT This text has been up to date to mirror Nexstar’s announcement in regards to the return of “Jimmy Kimmel Reside!”
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