Jimmy Kimmel\u2019s late-night talk show is returning on Tuesday after Disney pulled it off the air over comments made about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. In a statement on Monday, Disney said it planned to resume production after having \u201cthoughtful conversations\u201d with Kimmel.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country,\u201d Disney said. \u201cIt is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive.\u201d The original decision was made shortly after Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr threatened the operating licenses of broadcast stations that aired Kimmel\u2019s show, a move that put ABC under pressure from major broadcasting companies Nexstar and Sinclair, both of which said they would no longer transmit Kimmel\u2019s show.<\/p>\n
Even with Jimmy Kimmel Live! returning to its normal schedule, it\u2019s still not clear whether all ABC affiliates will air it. The Verge reached out to Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar for more information but didn\u2019t immediately hear back.<\/p>\n
During the episode that got Jimmy Kimmel Live! pulled off the airwaves<\/a>, Kimmel remarked that \u201cwe hit some new lows over the weekend, with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.\u201d Federal Communications Chair Brendan Carr claimed the statement violated broadcasters\u2019 mandate to act in the \u201cpublic interest\u201d and said they could handle Kimmel \u201cthe easy way or the hard way\u201d \u2014 the latter with the FCC involved.<\/p>\n The decision to suspend Kimmel\u2019s talk show sparked outrage<\/a> among Democratic lawmakers<\/a>, free speech advocates, and hundreds of celebrities who signed a letter<\/a> in support of Kimmel, calling the situation a \u201cdark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.\u201d The FCC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether it would retaliate against Disney, ABC, or broadcasters that put Kimmel\u2019s show back on the air.<\/p>\n