After nearly a week off the air, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is set to return Tuesday night. The show was suspended after host Jimmy Kimmel made remarks about the man accused of killing conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
Despite ABC and its parent company, Disney, ending Kimmel’s suspension, some local markets are still refusing to air his show. Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns 41 ABC affiliate stations, said it would not air the show. The company stated it would air news programming instead. Fellow local news company Nexstar Media Group joined Sinclair in announcing it would not air the show. The companies are two of the largest local news companies and own about a quarter of ABC-affiliated stations in the U.S.
Where can people watch Kimmel?
People can watch the show Tuesday night at 11:35 p.m. ET on local ABC affiliate channels. However, if someone is like the majority of Americans and doesn’t have cable or satellite, the show will be available on internet-based services that carry ABC, such as Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, or YouTube TV. Most of these services offer a basic cable package, which usually includes ABC.
Other services, such as DirecTV, offer free trials for their internet and cable services.
Why are companies still not airing Kimmel?
Now, some people who use cable to watch TV will still be unable to watch Kimmel, even after ABC ended his suspension. Both Sinclair and Nexstar are refusing to air the show.
Sinclair officials stated that they chose not to run the show but noted that “discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return.” However, they did not say why they made that decision.
Nexstar said it would stand by the decision it made not to air the show on Sept. 17, which led to Kimmel’s suspension.
“We stand by that decision pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve,” the company said in a statement.
It’s important to note that Nexstar is in talks to purchase Tegna, a different local news company. The deal must be approved by the Federal Communications Commission. FCC Chair Brendan Carr commended the company after Nexstar announced it wouldn’t continue to air Kimmel.
“I want to thank Nexstar for doing the right thing,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said on X. “Local broadcasters have an obligation to serve the public interest. While this may be an unprecedented decision, it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community values.”
Why did ABC suspend Kimmel?
ABC said it suspended Kimmel after he made remarks during his monologue about the assassination of Kirk and the suspected shooter, Tyler Robinson, on Sept. 15.
“We had 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,” Kimmel said during the monologue.
ABC officials stated that Kimmel’s comment was “ill-timed and thus insensitive.”
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