Jimmy Kimmel returning to Nexstar and Sinclair ABC affiliates Friday
Jimmy Kimmel will return to ABC affiliates owned by Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, ending days of local blackouts that followed his controversial monologue about Charlie Kirk. The restoration comes after negotiations with Disney/ABC and public pressure — including ABC’s brief suspension of the show and warnings from FCC Chair Brendan Carr — with both station groups saying they engaged with the network on community‑standards commitments.
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📊 Analysis & Commentary (6)
Holding ABC's Jimmy Kimmel accountable isn't 'cancel culture' — it's basic fairness
"The piece argues ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel for a false claim about Charlie Kirk’s killing is justified corporate accountability—not 'cancel culture'—and says he owes an on‑air correction, with broadcasters subject to public‑interest obligations."
Why ABC and CBS Cave to Trump’s Threats
"WSJ’s Holman W. Jenkins, Jr. argues that although the FCC improperly pressured ABC over Jimmy Kimmel, media panic about Trump-era censorship is overstated because networks like ABC and CBS could likely win on First Amendment grounds if they resisted rather than caved."
25 Years Ago, Russia Had Its Own Kimmel Moment
"The piece argues that ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel under FCC and political pressure resembles Russia’s early media crackdowns, warning it could be an inflection point toward state‑influenced censorship in the U.S."
The Closed Society Is Ascendant. Don’t Get Taken In
"The piece argues that, in the wake of polarizing events, mounting government and societal pressure on media and speech—exemplified by the Kimmel/FCC episode—reflects a broader drift toward a closed society and warns readers not to support illiberal crackdowns even against opponents."
Playbook: Jimmy Kimmel hits back
"The Playbook piece comments on Jimmy Kimmel’s forceful return to ABC, framing it as a defense of free speech against White House and FCC pressure, noting Kimmel’s partial apology, conservative pushback, and the likelihood that attempts to 'cancel' him backfired by amplifying his audience and the broader debate over government influence on broadcasters."
Podcast: Should the right engage in cancel culture?
"A podcast‑style opinion piece arguing that conservatives should not adopt cancel‑culture tactics (as seen in the Kimmel/affiliate/FCC controversy), because retaliation undermines free‑speech principles, is politically self‑defeating, and better responses exist."
📰 Sources (48)
Nexstar joins Sinclair in bringing back 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' after tense standoff with Disney
New information:
- Nexstar Media Group announced it will resume airing 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' on its ABC affiliates after discussions with The Walt Disney Company.
- Sinclair said it and ABC discussed measures including proposals for strengthened accountability and a 'network‑wide independent ombudsman.'
- Both Nexstar and Sinclair issued formal statements framing the reversal as responsive to viewer/advertiser feedback and emphasizing local‑broadcaster stewardship of the public airwaves.
Jimmy Kimmel to return to Nexstar and Sinclair's ABC affiliates Friday
New information:
- Axios reports Jimmy Kimmel will return to ABC affiliates owned by Nexstar and Sinclair on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
Sinclair brings Jimmy Kimmel’s show back to its ABC affiliate stations, ending blackout
New information:
- Sinclair Broadcast Group announced it is bringing 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' back to its ABC affiliate stations, ending a dayslong blackout.
- Sinclair operates 38 ABC affiliates and said it received feedback from viewers, advertisers and community leaders in deciding to restore the program.
- The company cited 'troubling acts of violence' (referencing a shooting into a Sacramento station lobby) and said it had taken community safety and programming responsibilities into account in its statement.
Sinclair says it will bring back "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Friday
New information:
- Sinclair Broadcast Group said on Friday it will return 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' to its ABC affiliates tonight, ending its earlier preemption.
- Sinclair issued an official statement explaining the decision and emphasizing its duty to air national network programming while serving local communities (quoted in the article).
- The reversal applies specifically to Sinclair's ABC stations (a major group of local affiliates), resolving one of the remaining blackout/preemption instances tied to the suspension controversy.
JD Vance says he would 'love' Jimmy Kimmel to apologize to Erika Kirk after return from recent suspension
New information:
- Vice President JD Vance said he would 'love' Jimmy Kimmel to apologize to Erika Kirk and the people Kimmel 'slandered' after Kimmel's return from suspension.
- Vance asserted that Charlie Kirk was killed by a 'left‑wing radical' (naming public concerns about Tyler Robinson) and criticized Kimmel for accusing conservative supporters of responsibility.
- Vance tied Kimmel's remarks to concerns about encouraging political violence and explicitly called for honesty about the assailant's ideological background.
Jimmy Kimmel's ratings jumped to highest in years with his return to ABC
New information:
- The Tuesday return episode drew an estimated 6.26 million broadcast viewers (Nielsen, per Disney).
- The episode earned a 0.87 rating among adults 18–49 — the highest for a single Kimmel episode since March 2015.
- By comparison, Kimmel's 2024–25 season averaged 1.42 million broadcast viewers and a 0.13 rating in the 18–49 demo.
- Disney said the monologue and episode generated more than 26 million views on YouTube and other social platforms.
- Despite ABC reinstating the show, Nexstar and Sinclair continue to preempt it indefinitely, affecting roughly 23% of the U.S. market.
Democratic senators probe Nexstar, Sinclair over Jimmy Kimmel, warn benching could run ‘afoul of federal law’
New information:
- Four Democratic senators (Warren, Wyden, Markey, Van Hollen) have sent a formal letter demanding answers from Nexstar and Sinclair about the preemptions.
- The senators explicitly warned that any trade of censorship for favorable official acts could 'run afoul of federal law,' signaling potential anti‑corruption and oversight implications.
- The letter ties the preemptions to pending FCC matters: Nexstar's attempted mega‑merger with Tegna and Sinclair's expected station acquisition activity, elevating the regulatory stakes.
Nexstar to continue not airing Kimmel's ABC show, in talks with Disney to ensure it 'respects' all audiences
New information:
- Nexstar publicly announced on Wednesday it will continue to preempt 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' on its ABC-affiliated stations while it evaluates the program.
- Nexstar said it is 'engaged in productive discussions' with The Walt Disney Company aimed at ensuring the show 'reflects and respects the diverse interests of the communities we serve.'
- Nexstar reiterated that while local stations preempt the program, 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' remains available nationwide on Disney-owned streaming platforms.
'We have to speak out,' Jimmy Kimmel says in his late night return
New information:
- Details of Kimmel's emotional monologue, including him choking up while addressing Charlie Kirk's family and the direct line: 'It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man.'
- Exact timing note that the show was taped and that President Trump's Truth Social post criticizing ABC and Kimmel appeared about an hour before the East Coast airing
- Direct excerpts of Trump's Truth Social post criticizing ABC and hinting at legal action, plus Kimmel's opening joke referencing Tylenol's CEO
Jimmy Kimmel delivers first monologue since show was taken off the air
New information:
- Jimmy Kimmel delivered his first monologue since ABC pulled the show, thanking supporters and naming conservative figures who defended his right to speak.
- Kimmel said he initially opposed being pulled but described private discussions with ABC leadership that led to his reinstatement.
- CBS reports 'dozens of affiliates' remain unwilling to run the episode and quotes President Trump’s Truth Social post criticizing ABC’s decision.
Trump slams Kimmel's return: "We're going to test ABC out on this"
New information:
- President Trump claimed on Truth Social that ABC told White House officials the Jimmy Kimmel show had been canceled.
- The claim was posted roughly an hour before 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' was due to return to ABC.
- Axios documents the president's allegation as part of the unfolding dispute over the show's suspension and affiliate preemptions.
These major markets won't be airing ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!' for now
New information:
- Nexstar and Sinclair will continue to preempt 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' in many of their ABC markets despite Disney ending the suspension.
- Fox News provides detailed market lists for the expected preemptions, including major areas such as Seattle–Tacoma, St. Louis, Portland (OR), Columbus (OH), Nashville, and Salt Lake City, among others.
- Disney-owned ABC stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, and Raleigh–Durham will air the show, and other groups (Tegna, Cox, Hearst, Scripps, Hubbard, Sunbeam, Gray) are expected to carry it.
- Kimmel is expected to address the controversy on Tuesday’s return; the article reiterates he reportedly declined to apologize and references the FCC’s earlier veiled threat context.
Jimmy Kimmel's returning, but not for everyone. Markets under blackout, mapped
New information:
- Sinclair and Nexstar announced they will keep pre-empting 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' across many ABC affiliates despite Disney reinstating the show.
- Together Sinclair and Nexstar control more than 25% of ABC's local affiliates and their stations reach about 23% of U.S. households (Reuters data cited).
- Sinclair said it will replace the show with local news programming; Nexstar said pre-emptions will continue 'pending assurance' of commitment to respectful dialogue.
- Axios published a market map showing which local markets/affiliates will black out the show (mapped blackout markets).
Trump suggests unproven tie between Tylenol and autism. And, Jimmy Kimmel returns
New information:
- FCC Chair Brendan Carr stated his earlier comments were not intended as threats to ABC affiliates.
- Sinclair says it will not air Kimmel on its ABC stations in roughly 30 markets, making the show unavailable across many areas, primarily in the South and Midwest.
- FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez (the commission’s lone Democrat) publicly applauded the show’s return and framed the earlier pressure as a First Amendment concern.
Sinclair says it will preempt Jimmy Kimmel after Disney announces his return
New information:
- Sinclair Broadcast Group says it will continue to preempt 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' despite Disney/ABC announcing the show’s return.
- Sinclair states the preemption will remain in place while discussions with ABC proceed.
- The stance was communicated hours after Disney announced Kimmel’s return.
Sinclair will preempt Jimmy Kimmel's show despite Disney ending its suspension
New information:
- Sinclair Broadcast Group will continue to preempt 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' across its 30 ABC affiliates when the show returns, replacing it with news programming.
- Sinclair says discussions with ABC are ongoing and it will not restore the program until 'appropriate steps' are taken; it previously called for a direct apology to the Kirk family and a donation to TPUSA.
- Disney confirmed the show’s Tuesday return after 'thoughtful conversations' with Kimmel, reversing its earlier suspension; Nexstar had also preempted the show last week.
Jimmy Kimmel will be back on air on Tuesday, Disney says
New information:
- NPR prints Jimmy Kimmel’s specific on‑air line that drew criticism: “We hit some new lows over the weekend…”
- Identifies notable signatories on the ACLU‑backed open letter to Disney (Lin‑Manuel Miranda, Pedro Pascal, Selena Gomez, Olivia Rodrigo) and quotes the letter’s constitutional‑rights language.
- Notes Nexstar’s interest in FCC approval for a multibillion‑dollar merger with TEGNA while it preempted Kimmel’s show, adding context to affiliate decisions.
Read ABC’s full statement on reinstating Jimmy Kimmel
New information:
- Publishes the Walt Disney Company’s full statement explaining the suspension was to avoid inflaming a tense national moment and that some comments were 'ill-timed and thus insensitive.'
- Confirms ABC’s rationale that the decision to return followed 'thoughtful conversations' with Kimmel and sets the return for Tuesday.
- Includes the specific Kimmel monologue lines that drew controversy, quoting his remarks about 'MAGA land' and the shooter characterization.
ABC ends Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, says his late-night show will return Tuesday
New information:
- ABC/AP quotes the network’s statement announcing Kimmel’s return on Tuesday after 'thoughtful conversations' with him.
- Reports that more than 430 Hollywood and Broadway figures signed an ACLU open letter urging defense of free speech in response to Kimmel’s suspension.
- Includes specific Kimmel monologue lines that sparked the suspension ('many in MAGA land...' and 'the MAGA gang...'), adding detail to prior summaries.
- Notes Trump’s broader media pressure context, including settlements with ABC and CBS and ongoing defamation suits against the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times (background context not previously cited).
Disney bringing Jimmy Kimmel back Tuesday
New information:
- Over 400 actors, musicians and creatives, alongside the ACLU, signed a letter pressuring Disney to reverse Kimmel’s suspension.
- Prominent figures including Cynthia Nixon and Howard Stern said they would cancel their Disney+ subscriptions in protest.
- Kimmel has been privately negotiating his return and has not made public comments since the show was pulled.
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