Sinclair brings Jimmy Kimmel’s show back to its ABC-affiliated stations

Sinclair Broadcast Group is bringing Jimmy Kimmel s late-night show back to its ABC affiliate stations on Friday night ending a dayslong TV blackout for dozens of cities across the U S over remarks the comedian made in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk s killing That means Jimmy Kimmel Live will return to Sinclair s local TV markets from Seattle to Washington D C But blackouts may continue in other parts of the country Nexstar another media company that has preempted Kimmel s show on its ABC affiliates has yet to announce a similar return Disney-owned ABC suspended Kimmel on Sept following threats of expected repercussions from the Trump-appointed head of the Federal Communications Commission Sinclair also condemned the host confirming that it would stop airing the show the same day The Maryland-based broadcast giant which is known for conservative political content called on Kimmel at the time to apologize to Kirk s family and taking it a step further inquired him to make a meaningful personal donation to Turning Point USA the nonprofit that Kirk founded On the day Kirk was killed Kimmel shared a message of promotion for Kirk s family and other casualties of gun violence on social media which he reiterated during his Tuesday return to ABC He had also called the conservative activist s assassination a senseless murder prior to being taken off air Kimmel s original comments didn t otherwise focus on Kirk He instead lambasted President Donald Trump and his administration s response to the killing The comedian did not apologize on Tuesday but did say it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man and acknowledged that to particular his comments felt either ill-timed or unclear or maybe both He also used a blend of humor and pointed messages to emphasize the importance of free speech Even after Disney brought Kimmel back to its national airways both Sinclair and Nexstar continued to preempt the show Nexstar did not instantly respond to an emailed request for comment from The Associated Press following Sinclair s decision to end its blackout New episodes of the show air Monday through Thursday Friday night s rerun will be of Tuesday s show so viewers of Sinclair stations can see Kimmel s emotional return to the air In its comment Friday Sinclair pointed to its responsibility as local broadcasters to provide programs that serves the interests of our communities while also honoring our obligations to air national arrangement initiatives The company which operates ABC-affiliated stations added that it had received thoughtful feedback from viewers advertisers and population leaders representing a wide range of perspectives and noticed troubling acts of violence referencing the shooting into the lobby of a Sacramento station These events underscore why responsible broadcasting matters and why respectful dialogue between differing voices remains so critical Sinclair added As a end of Sinclair and Nexstar s boycott viewers in cities representing roughly a quarter of ABC s local TV affiliates had been left without the late-night scheme on local TV The blackouts escalated nationwide uproar around First Amendment protections particularly as the Trump administration and other conservatives police speech after Kirk s killing They also cast a spotlight on political influence in the media landscape with critics lambasting companies that they accuse of censoring content Ahead of his suspension Kimmel took aim at the president and his MAGA gang of supporters for their response to Kirk s killing which Kimmel disclosed included finger-pointing and attempts to characterize the alleged shooter as anything other than one of them These remarks angered multiple supporters of Kirk as well as FCC Chairman Brendan Carr who accused Kimmel of appearing to directly mislead the American constituents with his remarks about the man accused of the killing Ahead of Kimmel s suspension Carr warned that Disney and ABC s local affiliates could face repercussions if the comedian was not punished He later applauded Sinclair as well as Nexstar for their decisions to preempt the show On Sept Sinclair Vice Chairman Jason Smith called Kimmel s comments inappropriate and deeply insensitive and mentioned that ABC s suspension wasn t enough Smith added that Sinclair appreciated Carr s comments and called for immediate regulatory action from the FCC to address control held over local broadcasters by the big national networks Still in Friday s announcement Sinclair maintained that its decision to preempt Kimmel s show was independent of any administration interaction or influence Sinclair s declaration Friday read adding that broadcasters had the right to exercise their own judgment While local TV affiliates broadcast their own programs such as local news they also contract with larger national broadcasters and pay them to air their national content splitting advertising revenue and fees from cable companies Sinclair explained constructive discussions with ABC were ongoing and disclosed its proposals to the grid to strengthen accountability feedback and dialogue and appoint an ombudsman had not yet been adopted Representatives for ABC declined to comment on Friday Matthew Dolgin senior equity analyst at research firm Morningstar declared he wasn t surprised by Sinclair s decision The relationship with Disney is far too key for these firms to hazard Dolgin stated And setting aside legal rights from either side he added Disney would ve been free to take its affiliate agreements elsewhere in if these relationships were too tough That scenario would be devastating to Nexstar and Sinclair