A major TV company says it will continue not to air Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show after the host’s return, though it said it is in “productive discussions” with Disney.
Nexstar Media Group, one of the nation’s largest owners of local TV stations, said it would continue to preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Wednesday after declining to air Kimmel’s return on Tuesday night.
“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,” Nexstar 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.”
Nexstar, which owns more than two dozen ABC affiliates, was the first major station group to say it would not air Kimmel’s show before ABC suspended the host and his program. Nexstar’s moves are being closely watched due to its pending $6.2 billion merger with rival Tegna. The FCC needs to sign off on that deal.
During his Tuesday night monologue, Kimmel addressed his suspension and the criticism of his comments about the killing of Charlie Kirk. It has quickly become Kimmel’s most-watched YouTube video of the year with more than 13.6 million views and counting.
“I have no illusions about changing anyone’s mind, but I do want to make something clear, because it’s important to me as a human and that is, you understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” Kimmel said. “I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.”
Sinclair Broadcasting Group, the largest owner of ABC stations, also refused to air Kimmel’s return on Tuesday. The company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. It is unclear what its plans are for Wednesday.
If Sinclair also continues to refuse to air Kimmel, roughly 25% of ABC stations in the country will broadcast other programming than the show. Viewers who want to watch Kimmel can still see his show via Disney’s streaming services.
During his return, Kimmel also criticized FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, for pressuring local stations not to air Kimmel’s show.
Disney’s decision to return Kimmel to the airwaves came after an intense pressure campaign that included pushes to cancel Disney+ subscriptions, an open letter signed by some of the biggest Hollywood actors, and criticism from congressional Democrats.
“This show is not important,” Kimmel said. “What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.”
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