Sinclair Broadcast Group Will Not Air Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Sinclair Broadcast Group isn’t going to air Jimmy Kimmel Live! just yet. This comes even after Disney reached an agreement to revive the show following Kimmel’s brief suspension at 33 ABC affiliate stations.
According to a report by Breitbart News on Monday, Disney and ABC have decided to bring Kimmel back to late-night television after the comedian faced significant pressure from protests and boycotts tied to his suspension.
“Last Wednesday, we chose to halt production of the show to mitigate further tensions during a time of heightened emotional sentiment in our nation,” Disney stated. “We deemed some of the remarks as poorly timed and insensitive. Our last day included meaningful discussions with Jimmy, and from those conversations, we opted to resume on Tuesday.”
Just last week, ABC affiliate Nexstar revealed it was removing Jimmy Kimmel from all its stations after Kimmel implied he’d collaborate with a publication, despite claims that the assassin of conservative activist Charlie Kirk was influenced by leftist ideology. Nexstar articulated that Kimmel’s comments were “aggressive and insensitive,” especially during such a pivotal phase of national political discourse, stressing the need to foster respectful, constructive dialogue.
Shortly after ABC announced the suspension, Sinclair Vice Chairman Jason Smith expressed his disapproval of Kimmel’s remarks, labeling them “inappropriate and deeply insensitive.”
“Kimmel’s comments were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a crucial moment for our country,” Smith said. “The broadcaster believes it has a responsibility to promote respectful conversation in the community. We appreciate Carr’s remarks today. This incident emphasizes the necessity for the FCC to act immediately on the influence large national networks have over local broadcasters.”
On Monday, Sinclair announced it would continue to keep the show off the air while the company evaluates the development.
“Starting Tuesday night, Sinclair will move forward with our own programming instead of Jimmy Kimmel Live!. We will be replacing ABC’s affiliate stations with news content,” Sinclair mentioned. “We’re ongoing discussions with ABC about the show’s potential comeback.”
At the time of this writing, Nexstar has not released any statements.
