Major American television station owners are defying Disney by refusing to broadcast Jimmy Kimmel Live! despite ABC lifting the controversial suspension, leaving millions of viewers unable to watch the late-night host who returned to airwaves with an emotional apology declaring it was “never my intention to make light” of Charlie Kirk’s murder.
The unprecedented standoff between Disney’s ABC network and two of America’s biggest broadcasting conglomerates has left the comedian’s show blacked out in roughly 20 per cent of the country, with Nexstar and Sinclair maintaining their boycott even as Kimmel returned to television on Tuesday night fighting back tears.
Nexstar, which controls more than 200 television stations across America, delivered a stinging rebuke to Disney’s decision, stating: “We made a decision last week to preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! following what ABC referred to as Mr Kimmel’s ‘ill-timed and insensitive’ comments at a critical time in our national discourse. We stand by that decision pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve.”
The extraordinary situation has left Kimmel broadcasting to a diminished audience after his suspension last week sparked one of the most ferocious debates about free speech and government pressure in modern American television history. The host choked up during his return monologue, acknowledging the gravity of the situation whilst defending his right to political commentary.
Trump Rages at Kimmel’s Return
President Donald Trump unleashed a furious attack on ABC’s decision to reinstate the comedian, threatening legal action against the network and suggesting the situation could prove “even more lucrative” than his previous £12.8 million ($16 million) settlement with the broadcaster.
“I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back,” Trump raged on social media. “The White House was told by ABC that his show was cancelled! Something happened between then and now because his audience is gone, and his ‘talent’ was never there.”
The president, who had previously called for television networks to have their licences “taken away,” escalated his rhetoric by accusing Kimmel of making illegal campaign contributions through his programme. “He is yet another arm of the DNC and, to the best of my knowledge, that would be a major illegal campaign contribution. I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do,” Trump declared.
Trump concluded his tirade by saying: “Last time I went after them, they gave me $16million. This one sounds even more lucrative. A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad ratings.”
The Comments That Sparked Crisis
The controversy erupted after Kimmel’s Monday night monologue last week, in which he addressed the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. The host said: “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the Maga gang trying to characterise this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”
Kimmel then mocked Trump’s response to Kirk’s death, playing a clip of the president pivoting from a question about grief to discussing White House construction. “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he calls a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish,” Kimmel quipped, drawing studio laughter.
The comments triggered immediate backlash from Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, who called them “truly sick” and threatened regulatory action, telling a conservative commentator: “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
Within hours, Nexstar announced it would pull Kimmel’s show from its 32 ABC affiliates, followed swiftly by Sinclair’s similar declaration. Disney then stunned the entertainment industry by suspending the programme “indefinitely.”
Sinclair Demands Apology and Donation
Sinclair Broadcast Group, which operates more than 35 ABC affiliates, went further than Nexstar in its demands, insisting Kimmel must apologise directly to Kirk’s family and make a “meaningful personal donation” to both the family and Kirk’s organisation, Turning Point USA.
Jason Smith, Sinclair’s vice-chairman, declared: “Mr Kimmel’s remarks were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country.” The company announced it would continue “preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming” whilst “discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return.”
On Friday, Sinclair aired a one-hour tribute to Kirk in Kimmel’s usual time slot, underscoring the depth of the broadcaster’s opposition to the comedian’s return.
Disney’s Reversal After Celebrity Outcry
Disney’s decision to reinstate Kimmel came after an extraordinary mobilisation of Hollywood’s elite, with more than 400 celebrities including Jennifer Aniston, Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro and Tom Hanks signing an open letter condemning the suspension as a “dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.”
The company acknowledged the controversy in a carefully worded statement: “Last 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. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive.”
Disney added: “We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”
Sources familiar with the negotiations revealed that Disney CEO Bob Iger and entertainment co-chair Dana Walden personally approved Kimmel’s return, though the comedian reportedly refused initial requests to apologise for his remarks.
Kimmel’s Emotional Return
During his Tuesday night return, Kimmel addressed the controversy directly whilst becoming visibly emotional. “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” he said, his voice breaking. “I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.”
The host acknowledged the unusual circumstances, telling his studio audience: “After almost 23 years on the air, we’re suddenly not being broadcast in 20 per cent of the country, which is not a situation we relish.” He noted the irony that his show was “not being broadcast in Washington, D.C., where we have been preempted.”
Kimmel defended the importance of free speech, drawing comparisons to authoritarian regimes: “I had the opportunity to meet and spend time with comedians and talk show hosts from countries like Russia, countries in the Middle East, who told me they would get thrown in prison for making fun of those in power. They know how lucky we are here.”
Political Firestorm Continues
The controversy has exposed deep divisions in American media and politics, with Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez condemning her chairman’s threats as “truly empty” whilst praising Disney for eventually “finding its courage in the face of clear government intimidation.
Stand-up comedian Josh Denny offered a different perspective following Kimmel’s return: “Jimmy Kimmel is back? That’s fine. Now bring back Charlie Kirk. What do you mean ‘you can’t?’ I thought they were equal atrocities.”
Former President Barack Obama weighed in on the broader implications, warning: “After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.
Uncertain Future for Distribution
The standoff leaves Kimmel’s show in an unprecedented position, with roughly 70 ABC affiliate stations owned by Nexstar and Sinclair continuing to refuse the programme. Both companies are seeking regulatory approval for major mergers requiring FCC approval, leading to speculation about their motives.
Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, maintained that Kimmel’s comments were “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse,” whilst the company awaits “assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue.”
As protesters gathered outside Kimmel’s Hollywood Boulevard studio – some supporting his return, others demanding a longer suspension – the controversy shows no signs of abating. With Trump threatening legal action and major broadcasters maintaining their boycott, America’s late-night television landscape has become the latest battleground in the nation’s intensifying culture wars.
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Image Credit:
Jimmy Kimmel, June 2022 — photo by Erin Scott / White House, public domain (U.S. federal government work).
