TUNING IN

MAGA-Friendly TV Owners Admit Defeat in War Over Kimmel

Sinclair, owner of 30 ABC affiliates, will air Kimmel’s show beginning Friday night. Nexstar will, too.

Television operators Sinclair and Nexstar are ending their preemption of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned to the air Tuesday following a temporary suspension by ABC’s parent company, Disney, amid pressure from the Federal Communications Commission over comments made about Charlie Kirk following the conservative activist’s murder on Sept. 10. Yet Sinclair, which operates 30 ABC affiliates nationwide, chose to air alternate programming since then. So did Nexstar.

That will end Friday night.

“In our ongoing and constructive discussions with ABC, Sinclair proposed measures to strengthen accountability, viewer feedback, and community dialogue, including a network-wide independent ombudsman,” the company said in a press release.

“These proposals were suggested as collaborative efforts between the ABC affiliates and the ABC network. 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.”

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According to its contract with Disney, Sinclair could only preempt Kimmel’s show so many times.

Sinclair added that its decision to do so “was independent of any government interaction or influence.”

“Free speech provides broadcasters with the right to exercise judgment as to the content on their local stations,” the statement continued. “While we understand that not everyone will agree with our decisions about programming, it is simply inconsistent to champion free speech while demanding that broadcasters air specific content.”

After Disney pulled Kimmel from the air last Wednesday, Sinclair said that his suspension was “not enough” and demanded an apology to the Kirk family, a donation to his family, and another donation to Turning Point USA.

In his monologue Tuesday, Kimmel said it was “never my intention to make light of” Kirk’s murder.

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“I don’t think there’s anything funny about it. I posted a message on Instagram on the day he was killed sending love to his family and asking for compassion—and I meant it. And I still do,“ he added.

“Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions. It was a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make, but to some, that felt ill-timed or unclear or maybe both, and for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset.”

Kimmel made no mention of any personal donations to either entity. He also sharply criticized the Trump administration’s pressure on Disney and ABC, calling it a “direct violation of the First Amendment.”

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Sinclair, which has long had a conservative bent, had been joined its preemption of Kimmel by Nexstar, which on Tuesday did not say how long theirs would last.

It, too, ended its preemption on Friday.

“We have had discussions with executives at The Walt Disney Company and appreciate their constructive approach to addressing our concerns,” Nexstar said in a press release. “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.”

Like Sinclair, Nextstar stated that its decision was made “independent of any external influence from government agencies or individuals.”

Nexstar, which owns 32 ABC stations, is looking to complete a $6.2 billion merger with Tegna, which owns another 13. The move would require approval from Trump’s FCC.

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