Two U.S. companies will allow Jimmy Kimmel Live! to return to their ABC stations’ airwaves Friday, ending a brief boycott launched after the show’s return.
In a statement posted on social media, Sinclair Broadcast Group said Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show will return to all of its 38 ABC affiliate stations effective Sept. 26.
“Over the last week, we have received thoughtful feedback from viewers, advertisers, and community leaders representing a wide range of perspectives,” Sinclair said in the statement.
The company also said it noticed “troubling acts of violence,” referencing the shooting into the lobby of a Sacramento ABC station last Friday.
“These events underscore why responsible broadcasting matters and why respectful dialogue between differing voices remains so important,” Sinclair added.
A short time later, Nexstar Media Group said it would also return Kimmel’s show to its 28 ABC affiliate stations beginning Friday night.
“We have had discussions with executives at The Walt Disney Company and appreciate their constructive approach to addressing our concerns,” the company said in a statement.
“As a local broadcaster, Nexstar remains committed to protecting the First Amendment while producing and airing local and national news that is fact-based and unbiased and, above all, broadcasting content that is in the best interest of the communities we serve.”
Kimmel was allowed to return to work, and hosted the show again on Sept. 23 after the network said it had “thoughtful conversations” with Kimmel.
Both Sinclair and Nexstar said this week they would continue to keep Kimmel off their ABC airwaves despite the return, but said they remained in conversations with ABC and Disney.
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“In our ongoing and constructive discussions with ABC, Sinclair proposed measures to strengthen accountability, viewer feedback, and community dialogue, including a network-wide independent ombudsman,” Sinclair said Friday.
It noted the company has yet to adopt those measures.
ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! completely on Sept. 17 after the namesake host made comments during a broadcast about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The suspension was announced shortly after Nexstar and Sinclair said they would pre-empt Kimmel’s show.
Brendan Carr, chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, suggested earlier that same day that companies should take action against Kimmel over his comments “or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr added, comments that Democrats and other critics have said amounted to government pressure on affiliate stations, ABC and Disney.
United States President Donald Trump has been openly critical of the late-night host in the past, among others, and has previously suggested putting pressure on networks to have their shows cancelled.
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Trump spoke at a press conference last month and responded to reporters saying:
“Fallon has no talent. Kimmel has no talent. They’re next. They’re going to be going. I hear they’re going to be going. I don’t know, but I would imagine because they’d get — you know, Colbert has better ratings than Kimmel or Fallon,” Trump said.
In its statement, Sinclair said its earlier decision to pre-empt Jimmy Kimmel Live! was done without government pressure.
“Our decision to pre-empt this program was independent of any government interaction or influence,” it said.
Nexstar also insisted its decisions were made due to its commitment “to be stewards of the public airwaves and to protect and reflect the specific sensibilities of our communities.”
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“To be clear, our commitment to those principles has guided our decisions throughout this process, independent of any external influence from government agencies or individuals,” the company’s statement said.
Nexstar last month announced a $6.2 billion deal to buy TEGNA Inc., which owns 64 other TV stations.
The deal would require the FCC to change rules limiting the number of stations a single company can own. Carr has expressed openness to changing the rule.
Sinclair has also petitioned the FCC to relax its rules limiting broadcaster ownership of stations.
Kimmel has referenced the decision to not air his show on some stations since returning to ABC this week.
“We are broadcasting to about 75 per cent of the country from Los Angeles, California, tonight,” he said in his monologue Thursday night.
He noted next week’s shows will be taking place in Brooklyn, N.Y.
“What we have to do now is stay on the move so the FCC can’t get us,” he joked.
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