The fallout over Jimmy Kimmel’s recent comments about Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin continues to escalate.
On Monday, Sinclair Broadcast Group announced it will not air ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! when it returns Tuesday night. Instead, the company says it will fill the time slot with news programming across its 30 ABC affiliates.
“Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming. Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return,” the company said in a statement.
Sinclair, along with Nexstar, had already suspended Kimmel’s show last week after his controversial remarks sparked outrage. Sinclair Vice Chairman Jason Smith blasted the late-night host’s comments as “inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country.”
The company added that Kimmel’s return to its airwaves will not happen until he issues a direct apology to the Kirk family, makes a donation to them and to Turning Point USA, and ABC takes steps to “uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform.”
The controversy began when Kimmel’s remarks led to the show being pulled entirely last Wednesday, drawing criticism and even a veiled threat from the FCC. Disney, which owns ABC, initially suspended the program after Sinclair and Nexstar cut it from their affiliates. Reports indicated Kimmel privately told executives he would not apologize.
But Disney shifted course Monday, confirming Kimmel’s return.
“Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country,” a Disney spokesperson said. “We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”
For now, though, Kimmel’s comeback will not reach millions of viewers in Sinclair markets, as the standoff between the broadcaster, ABC, and the late-night host continues.
