Sinclair Broadcast Group announced [1] Monday it will continue to preempt ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! when the show returns Tuesday night, extending its suspension of the late-night program after comments by the host sparked widespread backlash.
“Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming. Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return,” Sinclair said in a statement.
Sinclair operates 30 ABC affiliates nationwide.
The company had previously joined Nexstar Media Group, another major operator of ABC affiliates, in pulling Kimmel’s show last week after he made controversial remarks about the alleged assassin of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
“Mr. Kimmel’s remarks were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country,” Sinclair Vice Chairman Jason Smith said at the time.
Sinclair also outlined conditions for any potential reinstatement of the program.
“Sinclair also calls upon Mr. Kimmel to issue a direct apology to the Kirk family. Furthermore, we ask Mr. Kimmel to make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk family and Turning Point USA,” the company’s earlier statement read.
“Regardless of ABC’s plans for the future of the program, Sinclair intends not to return Jimmy Kimmel Live! to our air until we are confident that appropriate steps have been taken to uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform.”
The controversy began last Wednesday, when Kimmel’s comments about Kirk’s alleged assassin triggered public outrage and led to scrutiny from the Federal Communications Commission.
In response, Disney, which owns ABC, suspended production of Jimmy Kimmel Live! the same day.
Reports indicated that Kimmel resisted calls to issue a public apology, a stance that contributed to Sinclair and Nexstar’s decisions to suspend the program on their stations.
On Monday, Disney announced it would allow Kimmel’s show to return, explaining the decision in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday,” a Disney spokesperson said.
While Disney moves forward with the show’s return, Sinclair has made clear that its affiliates will not air Kimmel’s program until its concerns are addressed.
For now, Sinclair affiliates will continue to replace Kimmel’s late-night slot with local or national news programming, with the company stating that it will reassess only after it is satisfied with the steps taken by both ABC and Kimmel.
The standoff leaves uncertainty over when, or if, Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to Sinclair stations.