While \u201cJimmy Kimmel Live!\u201d has returned to ABC a week after Disney pulled it from the air, some broadcasters still refuse to air the late-night show.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nexstar <\/a>and Sinclair<\/a>, which own more than 70 ABC affiliates throughout the U.S., began preempting the show after Kimmel made remarks about the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nexstar\u2019s decision comes amid plans to acquire rival broadcaster Tegna in a $6.2 billion deal <\/a>that would require approval from the Federal Communications Commission. Brendan Carr, the head of the FCC, has criticized Kimmel and suggested the agency could revoke the licenses of local stations who broadcast the show.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Politicians<\/a>, celebrities <\/a>and viewers at home have criticized Kimmel\u2019s suspension, calling it a violation of free speech.<\/p>\n Some Disney shareholders want to know why Disney suspended Kimmel<\/a> and are asking for documents related to the decision, along with any materials on how his removal has affected Disney\u2019s revenue. Disney\u2019s market cap plummeted by $6.4 billion<\/a> between last Thursday and this Monday.\u00a0<\/p>\n Consumers have voted with their dollars by cancelling their Hulu and Disney+ subscriptions in droves.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n They\u2019re also boycotting Nexstar and Sinclair by hitting them where it hurts: their ad dollars. On Reddit, consumers are keeping track of the companies that are advertising with their affiliates,<\/a> and telling them that they will no longer do business there.\u00a0<\/p>\n Those efforts are already having an impact on some companies.\u00a0<\/p>\n The performing arts nonprofit Seattle Theatre Group has postponed future advertising with the Sinclair-owned station KOMO, which is based in Washington, although it currently does not have any ads running on the station.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIn response to both ABC and Sinclair’s actions to limit free speech, which we do not agree with, we paused all future campaigns that we have scheduled with KOMO,\u201d an STG spokesperson told Marketplace over email.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The STG spokesperson said that the organization \u201creceived many emails and notes from patrons and concerned individuals\u201d from the greater Puget Sound region in Washington.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOur decision to pause our future ads is both in response to that outreach and our own concerns with ABC and Sinclair,\u201d the spokesperson said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Another Washington-based company, Best Plumbing, issued a statement on its website in support of free speech after consumers began writing letters to them.<\/p>\n \u201cFreedom of expression isn\u2019t left or right. It\u2019s not a partisan issue. People across the spectrum agree that silencing voices sets a dangerous precedent for all of us,\u201d the statement said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The company also wrote, \u201cWe will review pending contracts and upcoming campaigns to ensure our advertising continues to align with both our business goals and the values of transparency and fairness our customers expect.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Marketplace reached out to Nexstar and Sinclair for comment, but did not receive a response by publication time.\u00a0<\/p>\n Broadcasters face increasing competition from streaming services, and this decision isn\u2019t helping.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe are in an era of cord-cutting, where consumers are already turning away from local television. Broadcast stations simply don\u2019t have the same captive audiences they once did. For affiliates, that makes reputational missteps riskier \u2014 they can\u2019t afford to give viewers or advertisers another reason to disengage when both groups are already drifting away,\u201d\u00a0 said Stacy Jones, CEO of the marketing agency Hollywood Branded.\u00a0<\/p>\n Media buyers, or the ones who buy ad space, take note when consumer boycotts target advertisers.<\/p>\n \u201cMedia buyers flag the stations, track coverage, and weigh whether a controversy could stick. Even if dollars don\u2019t pull right away, you\u2019ll see brands get cautious with renewals or shift toward safer placements,\u201d Jones said.\u00a0<\/p>\n