Jimmy Kimmel returns; Major broadcaster still refuses to air his show

Sinclair Broadcast Group announced on Monday that its 38 ABC affiliate stations will not be airing “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” following Disney’s decision to resume the left-wing comedian’s show after temporarily suspending the show over Kimmel’s controversial remarks about the assassination of Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk.

In a statement released on Monday night, Sinclair Broadcast Group wrote, “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.”

Sinclair Broadcast Group’s decision not to air Kimmel’s show on its ABC affiliate stations comes after Disney confirmed on Monday that ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” would be returning on Tuesday night. 

“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 told Fox News. “It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. 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.”

Executives at Disney and ABC, a subsidiary of Disney, announced last Wednesday that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” would be “preempted indefinitely” after the left-wing comedian mocked President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement over Kirk’s assassination and falsely claimed that Kirk’s assassin was connected to the MAGA movement.

During last Monday’s episode, Kimmel said, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.” 

Kimmel’s comments led to major backlash, including a threat from Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr, who warned that Disney could face consequences if the company refused to appropriately address Kimmel’s controversial statements.

In a statement last Wednesday, Sinclair Broadcast Group described Kimmel’s comments as “inappropriate and deeply insensitive” and explained that the suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on its affiliate stations would not be lifted until “formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability.”

Sinclair Broadcast Group urged Kimmel to provide the Kirk family with a “direct apology” and to “make a meaningful personal donation” to Turning Point USA and Kirk’s family.

“Regardless of ABC’s plans for the future of the program, Sinclair intends not to return ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ to our air until we are confident that appropriate steps have been taken to uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform,” Sinclair Broadcast Group added.