Nexstar Media Group says it will not air new episodes of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on its ABC affiliates, even though the network has approved the show’s return from temporary hiatus.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Nexstar confirmed the broadcaster was standing by its decision to pre-empt Kimmel’s program based on “ill-timed and insensitive” comments made during his monologue.
“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,” the Nexstar spokesperson said.
Kimmel’s problematic comments referenced the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, and were largely critical of how President Donald Trump and his supporters were leveraging Kirk’s death to their own advantage. During the monologue, Kimmel wrongly implied that Kirk’s alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson, was politically aligned with Trump’s supporters.
Nexstar was the first broadcaster last week to announce it was pulling Kimmel’s show off their nearly three dozen ABC affiliated stations. Sinclair, another large owner of ABC affiliates, announced plans to pre-empt Kimmel’s show shortly after Nexstar.
Their announcement came hours after Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr encouraged ABC affiliates to pre-empt Kimmel’s program, suggesting the decision was in the best interest of broadcasters and their viewers.
Sinclair and Nexstar both have business-related transactions that are pending before the FCC and which require the agency’s approval. Nexstar has denied its decision was influenced by those transactions.
A spokesperson for ABC said last week the network’s decision to pull Kimmel’s show was borne from a desire to let cooler heads prevail. The network stressed that Kimmel had not been fired and was not being disciplined, but sources familiar with the decision said top ABC executives, including CEO Bob Iger, were discouraged by Kimmel’s desire to address the situation during a taping of his show last week.
On Monday, ABC said it was lifting the hiatus on Kimmel’s show, with new episodes set to air Tuesday evening. Those episodes won’t be available on Nexstar and Sinclair’s ABC affiliates, which will run extended newscasts in place of Kimmel’s show. In affected markets, the show will be available on Hulu, with clips offered through YouTube.
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Read more:
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