Following Sinclair’s announcement that it would end its preemption of Jimmy Kimmel‘s late-night show, Nexstar is following suit — making Jimmy Kimmel Live! available to everyone in the United States.
In a statement shared Friday, Sept. 26, Nexstar announced that Kimmel’s show would return to the air, beginning with that night’s episode.
“We have had discussions with executives at The Walt Disney Company and appreciate their constructive approach to addressing our concerns,” the company said in its statement. “As a local broadcaster, Nexstar remains committed to protecting the First Amendment while producing and airing local and national news that is fact-based and unbiased and, above all, broadcasting content that is in the best interest of the communities we serve.”
“We stand apart from cable television, monolithic streaming services, and national networks in our commitment – and obligation – to be stewards of the public airwaves and to protect and reflect the specific sensibilities of our communities,” the statement continued. “To be clear, our commitment to those principles has guided our decisions throughout this process, independent of any external influence from government agencies or individuals.”Jimmy Kimmel on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’.
Nexstar and Sinclair first announced it would pull Jimmy Kimmel Live! from its nationwide ABC affiliates on Wednesday, Sept. 17, following the late-night host’s comments about late conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
This prompted ABC to announce it was “indefinitely” pulling the show off the air.
Kirk, a conservative commentator, was shot and killed during a speaking event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, Sept. 10, at the age of 31. A memorial was held for Kirk on Sunday, Sept. 21.
Kimmel’s remarks that landed him in hot water pertained to Kirk and his accused killer, Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old charged with aggravated murder in connection with Kirk’s death.
“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,” he said during his opening monologue on Monday, Sept. 15. “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”
Kimmel then showed clips of President Donald Trump being asked about Kirk’s death, with one reporter offering him their condolences and asking how he’s holding up. The president responded by saying, “I think very good,” before changing the subject to the construction of the new ballroom at the White House.
“Yes, he’s at the fourth stage of grief: construction,” Kimmel said as the camera cut back to him. “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish, okay?”Guillermo Rodriguez and Jimmy Kimmel on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’.
Directly after Kirk’s death, Kimmel took to social media to condemn his killing.
“Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human?” he wrote at the time. “On behalf of my family, we send love to the Kirks and to all the children, parents and innocents who fall victim to senseless gun violence.”
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr praised both Nexstar, the largest local broadcast and digital media company in the U.S., and Sinclair, which boasts the nation’s largest ABC affiliate group, for their decision to pull Kimmel’s show in posts he shared to X.
Nexstar recently announced plans to acquire rival broadcast company Tegna in a massive deal for more than $6 billion, the result of which would further consolidate the local television landscape and put Nexstar in 80% of America’s TV-owning households — despite current law permitting no more than 39% — according to a press release. The acquisition requires final approval from the Trump-controlled and Carr-run FCC.Jimmy Kimmel on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’.
Randy Holmes/Disney via Getty
Sinclair laid out a list of demands for Kimmel to meet before it would return Jimmy Kimmel Live! to the air, including him issuing “a direct apology to the Kirk family” and making a “meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA,” Kirk’s nonprofit that advocates for conservative politics on high school, college and university campuses.
On Monday, Sept. 22, ABC announced that it would return Jimmy Kimmel Live! to the air.
“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. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive,” the company’s statement read, adding that it decided to bring the show back after having “thoughtful conversations” with Kimmel in the days following his show’s suspension.
Following ABC’s decision to revive Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Sinclair and Nexstar both revealed they would continue preempting the show in their local markets. Again, Carr praised the broadcast companies for standing up to their network counterpart.
Kimmel’s big return saw the late-night host tearing up during an emotional monologue and slamming both Trump and the FCC while also crying over Kirk’s widow and saying he didn’t intend to “make light” of his murder.
The show’s return episode resulted in a ratings surge as President Trump has threatened to “test ABC” for bringing Kimmel back. Disney shareholders have also demanded records to see if the company wrongfully bowed to Trump when deciding to suspend Kimmel.Glen Powell and Jimmy Kimmel on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’.
Disney/Randy Holmes
When Sinclair announced it would end its preemption of Kimmel’s show, the company revealed it had “ongoing and constructive discussions” with ABC and even “proposed measures to strengthen accountability, viewer feedback, and community dialogue, including a network-wide independent ombudsman.”
“These proposals were suggested as collaborative efforts between the ABC affiliates and the ABC network,” the statement explained. “While ABC and Disney have not yet adopted these measures, and Sinclair respects their right to make those decisions under our network affiliate agreements, we believe such measures could strengthen trust and accountability.”
Sinclair also noted that its initial decision to preempt Kimmel’s show “was independent of any government interaction or influence.”
Following Sinclair’s statement, PEOPLE learned that no editorial or content concessions were made on ABC or Disney’s behalf.
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Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC.
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