Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be back on ABC-affiliated stations of both Sinclair Broadcasting and Nexstar Media Group starting tonight, the companies said Friday.
Both broadcasters had earlier this week refused to resume airing the show after Disney, which owns ABC, lifted a nearly week-long suspension over comments the late-night host made in a monologue about the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The move means Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to local TV on Nexstar’s ABC affiliates in 28 cities, along with the 38 stations where Sinclair agreed to restore the show.
“Our objective throughout this process has been to ensure that programming remains accurate and engaging for the widest possible audience,” Sinclair said Friday in a press release.
The company went on to say that its decision was independent of any government influence, and was made based on the values of free speech.
“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,” the statement read.
Since his return to air, Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show has garnered millions of views on YouTube after a nearly weeklong suspension that triggered a national discussion about freedom of speech. Emmy Award-winning journalist, Segun Oduolowu, discusses the late-night host’s return and why it’s significant.
Nexstar announced its decision just a few hours later, also citing its commitment to free speech.
“We have had discussions with executives at the Walt Disney Company and appreciate their constructive approach to addressing our concerns,” Nexstar’s statement read in part.
Even before ABC suspended Kimmel’s show indefinitely, Sinclair and Nexstar both pre-empted it on their stations. Sinclair condemned Kimmel’s comments, saying it wouldn’t lift the show’s suspension until it had formal discussions with ABC.
Hours before Kimmel’s show was suspended, U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr warned that local broadcasters who aired Kimmel could face fines or loss of licences, saying “it’s time for them to step up.”
The two station owners represent about 25 per cent of all affiliates.
Kimmel’s show returned to TV on Tuesday night, when he addressed the controversy for the first time. Kimmel repeatedly defended the right to free speech and became emotional at points — especially when he sought to clarify the intention behind his comments regarding Kirk.
“It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. I don’t think there’s anything funny about it. I posted a message on Instagram the day he was killed, sending love to his family and asking for compassion, and I meant it. And I still do,” Kimmel said.
Despite being off air on two major broadcast groups, Kimmel’s Tuesday return still garnered 6.26 million viewers, according to a news release from Disney and ABC Entertainment. On YouTube, his opening monologue from that night had over 21.9 million views as of Friday afternoon.
Public opinion on Kimmel’s suspension has been split. Many other late-night hosts spoke out in support of him and said they were worried about what the suspension meant for free speech. Some viewers cancelled Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions, and a few celebrities amplified calls for a boycott.
Even some on the political right spoke out in support of Kimmel’s First Mmendment rights — including Sen. Ted Cruz (whom Kimmel commended in his Tuesday monologue) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
But some on the political right maintained that Kimmel went too far in his comments. Andrew Kolvet, spokesperson for Turning Point USA, the organization that Kirk founded, said Kimmel’s Tuesday monologue wasn’t good enough and that a proper apology was necessary.
Front Burner30:39Jimmy Kimmel, free speech and big money media
