Nexstar and Sinclair will both keep “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air as discussions with Disney about bringing the late night show back to their affiliate stations remain ongoing.
“Nexstar is continuing to evaluate the status of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ on our ABC-affiliated local television stations, and the show will be preempted while we do so,” the company said in a statement. “We are engaged in productive discussions with executives at The Walt Disney Company, with a focus on ensuring the program reflects and respects the diverse interests of the communities we serve.”
Similarly, a Sinclair spokesperson deferred TheWrap to the company’s previous statement issued on Monday that discussions with ABC are “ongoing” as it evaluates Kimmel’s potential return. The spokesperson reiterated that he would remain preempted indefinitely and would be replaced with news programming while those conversations continue.
Representatives for Disney did not immediately return TheWrap’s request for comment.
Nexstar, which has more than 200 owned or partner stations in 116 U.S. markets reaching 220 million people, owns 23 ABC affiliate stations and partners with nine other stations. Meanwhile, Sinclair has nearly 40 ABC affiliate stations.
Both companies pulled Kimmel’s show indefinitely last week over the host’s comments about Charlie Kirk’s accused assassin, which they’ve called “inappropriate,” “offensive” and “insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse”
Though Nexstar has a $6.2 billion merger with rival Tegna pending before the Federal Communications Commission, the company has denied that the agency’s chairman Brendan Carr pressured the company’s decision to pull Kimmel from its airwaves.
Following Nexstar’s move, ABC said it was preempting Kimmel indefinitely, which triggered protests from writers and union members, calls to cancel Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ subscriptions, and an open letter from the American Civil Liberties Union signed by over 400 artists condemning the suspension.
Sinclair also argued that Kimmel’s suspension was “not enough” and demanded that he apologize and make a “meaningful personal donation” to the Kirk family and Turning Point USA. It also called for “formal discussions” with ABC regarding “the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability.”
In a statement on Monday, Disney said it pulled Kimmel to “avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country,” adding that some of his comments were “ill-timed and thus insensitive.” The company added that after “thoughtful conversations” with Kimmel, a decision was reached for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” to return on Tuesday. But both Nexstar and Sinclair refused to budge, saying that they would keep him off their airwaves.
“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,” Kimmel said during his monologue while holding back tears. “Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what was obviously a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make. But I understand that to some, that felt either ill-timed or unclear, or maybe both. And for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset. If the situation was reversed, there’s a good chance I’d have felt the same way.”
He added that he has “many friends and family members on the other side who I love and remain close to, even though we don’t agree on politics at all.”
“I don’t think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone. This was a sick person who believed violence was a solution, and it isn’t ever. And also, selfishly, I am the person who gets a lot of threats. I get many ugly and scary threats against my wife, my kids, my co-workers because of what I choose to say, and I know those threats don’t come from the kind of people on the right who I know and love, so that’s what I wanted to say on that subject,” he continued. “But I don’t want to make this about me, because, and I know this is what people say when they make things about them, but this show is not important. What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.”
He also thanked those who spoke out about the show’s suspension, regardless of where they stand in a fractured American political landscape, and pointed out that Erika Kirk forgave her husband’s killer.
“That is an example we should follow. If you believe in the teachings of Jesus, as I do. There it was, that’s it, a selfless act of grace, forgiveness from a grieving widow,” Kimmel said. “It touched me deeply and if there’s anything we should take from this tragedy to carry forward, I hope it can be that.”
