Jimmy Kimmel (AP)
Nexstar Media Group, one of the US’s largest broadcast TV station owners, announced it will not air Tuesday’s return of Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The move follows Sinclair, which on Monday also confirmed it would preempt the late-night show in favor of alternative programming.“We made a decision last week to preempt ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ following what ABC referred to as Mr. Kimmel’s ‘ill-timed and insensitive’ comments at a critical time in our national discourse. 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,” Nexstar said in a statement on Tuesday.Kimmel’s late-night show returns to ABC on Tuesday night following a controversy over his remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Nexstar was among the earliest to respond to Kimmel’s comments.The company stated that while its stations will not air Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the show remains accessible nationwide through Disney-owned streaming platforms. The company emphasized its focus on producing local news and other “market-relevant” programming. Nexstar and Sinclair, two of the largest US broadcast station owners, operate local affiliates of major networks including ABC, Fox, NBC, and CBS, as cited by CNBC. Nexstar owns about 30 ABC-affiliated stations in markets such as Salt Lake City, Nashville, and New Orleans, while Sinclair operates nearly 40 ABC affiliates. Last week, Sinclair followed Nexstar in preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! and confirmed Monday that it would continue to do so even after ABC resumed the show’s broadcast this week.Jimmy Kimmel Live! was initially pulled following the host’s controversial remarks about the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The show’s return came after discussions with Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger and Disney Entertainment Co-Chair Dana Walden.The situation intensified when Brendan Carr, chair of the Federal Communications Commission, stated in an interview that Kimmel’s remarks were part of a “concerted effort to lie to the American people,” and added that the agency was “going to have remedies that we can look at.”Unlike Nexstar and Sinclair, most local US TV station groups have not objected to Kimmel’s show. Large ABC affiliates like Gray and Hearst plan to air Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday night as scheduled, as cited by the New York Times.
