Local TV conglomerate Sinclair Broadcast Group said its ABC-affiliate stations will start airing Jimmy Kimmy Live! again on Friday night, ending its preempting of the show.<\/p>\n
Sinclair, along with fellow station owner Nexstar Media Group, continued to preempt Kimmel\u2019s late-night talkshow even after ABC had put Kimmel back on air<\/a>.<\/p>\n Together, Sinclair and Nexstar\u2019s preemption of the show left about 25%<\/a> of TV viewers in the US unable to watch it, with the two companies owning 70 ABC-affiliate stations combined.<\/p>\n The two companies are the largest owners of local TV stations in the country. Sinclair currently owns more than 185 TV stations across 85 markets, while Nexstar owns 200 stations across 116 markets.<\/p>\n In a statement<\/a>, Sinclair said it received \u201cthoughtful feedback from viewers, advertisers and community leaders representing a wide range of perspectives\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cOur objective throughout this process has been to ensure that programming remains accurate and engaging for the widest possible audience,\u201d the firm said.<\/p>\n The company said that it had \u201congoing and constructive discussions\u201d with ABC where Sinclair proposed measures to strengthen accountability and viewer feedback, including having a \u201cnetwork-wide independent ombudsman\u201d. ABC and Disney have not agreed to the measures, and Sinclair noted that it \u201crespects their right to make those decisions under network affiliate agreements\u201d.<\/p>\n The announcement leaves Nexstar as the only TV station owner still preempting the show.<\/p>\n Much of the Kimmel controversy started when Brendan Carr, chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), threatened<\/a> regulatory blowback to broadcasters if Kimmel\u2019s comments<\/a> on Charlie Kirk\u2019s killing were not addressed.<\/p>\n Nexstar is seeking FCC approval for a merger<\/a> with Tegna, another owner of local TV stations. The merger would require the FCC to change limits on the percentage of the national audience that it reaches, which essentially caps the number of TV stations a single company can own.<\/p>\n Nexstar was the first to announce it would preempt Kimmel\u2019s show, followed by Sinclair. Shortly after, ABC announced it would pause production of Kimmel\u2019s show \u201cindefinitely\u201d \u2013 a hiatus that lasted almost a week, and prompted widespread criticism.<\/p>\n On Truth Social, Donald Trump<\/a> praised ABC for taking Kimmel off the air, saying it had \u201cthe courage to do what had to be done\u201d, before criticizing the company for reversing the decision.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u2019re going to test ABC out on this. Let\u2019s see how we do,\u201d Trump wrote on Tuesday. \u201cLast time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars,\u201d he said, referring to Disney\u2019s controversial payment to Trump<\/a> to settle a defamation lawsuit in December.<\/p>\n After ABC announced Kimmel would come back Tuesday, Nexstar said in a statement that it would continue to evaluate the status of the show.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are engaged in productive discussions with executives of the Walt Disney Company, with a focus on ensuring the program reflects and respects the diverse interests of the communities we serve,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n In recent days, Sinclair has stressed that its decision to continue preempting Jimmy Kimmel<\/a> Live! \u201cwas independent of any government interaction or influence\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cFree speech provides broadcasters with the right to exercise judgment as to the content on their local stations,\u201d the company said, adding that it \u201cis simply inconsistent to champion free speech while demanding broadcasters air specific content.\u201d<\/p>\n