The Sinclair Broadcast Group, a major owner of local TV stations which since last week has pre-empted “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” over comments the host made regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk, will end its blackout of the ABC show, it announced on Friday.
“Our objective throughout this process has been to ensure that programming remains accurate and engaging for the widest possible audience. We take seriously our responsibility as local broadcasters to provide programming that serves the interests of our communities, while also honoring our obligations to air national network programming,” Sinclair said in a statement.
The broadcaster said it had “received thoughtful feedback from viewers, advertisers, and community leaders representing a wide range of perspectives,” on the Kimmel saga.
“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,” the company said. “These proposals were suggested as collaborative efforts between the ABC affiliates and the ABC network. While ABC and Disney have not yet adopted these measures, and Sinclair respects their right to make those decisions under our network affiliate agreements, we believe such measures could strengthen trust and accountability.”
ABC had suspended Kimmel for days after his comments on, during which the comedian accused conservatives of trying to score “political points” over the activist’s death and joked President Trump was mourning him “like a four year old mourns a dead goldfish.”
But Sinclair was one of two major local news providers that decided to pre-empt Kimmel’s show after ABC restored it.
The other, Nexstar Media Group, has yet to say if it will end its boycott of Kimmel’s program, issuing a statement after the host returned to the airwaves this week saying it 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.”
“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,” Nexstar said.
Disney, as it brought Kimmel back, called the comedian’s comments about Kirk “ill-timed” and “insensitive.”
Nexstar, which owns The Hill and is the largest provider of local news in the country, announced it would not carry Kimmel’s show just hours after Trump FCC Chair Brendan Carr criticized the host over his remarks about Kirk and suggested ABC or its affiliates should drop the show.
Nexstar earlier this year announced plans for a multi-billion dollar merger with rival TV local company Tegna, a deal that will require approval from Trump’s FCC to clear.
An emotional Kimmel returned to the air on Tuesday evening and insisted his comments were not aimed at “making light of the murder of a young man,” but argued the Trump administration was trying to censor him, an effort he called “un-American.”
Trump expressed frustration that ABC had reinstated Kimmel just hours before he returned to the air, writing in a Truth Social post, “I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do.”
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