IRVING, Texas—Sinclair and Nexstar Media Group, Inc. have announced that they will no longer preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and that the late night talk show will air on the ABC affiliates owned by the two station groups on Friday, Sept. 26.
The program returned to ABC on Sept. 23 after a controversy over Kimmel’s remarks about the assassination Charlie Kirk but Nexstar and Sinclair continued to preempt the show. The show’s return produced ratings not seen since 2015 even thought it was blackout in markets covering 23% of the country. As of 6 p.m. ET on Sept. 26, the monologue was also viewed by more than 21 million people on YouTube.
“We have had discussions with executives at The Walt Disney Company and appreciate their constructive approach to addressing our concerns,” Nexstar said in a statement. “As a local broadcaster, Nexstar remains committed to protecting the First Amendment while producing and airing local and national news that is fact-based and unbiased and, above all, broadcasting content that is in the best interest of the communities we serve. We stand apart from cable television, monolithic streaming services, and national networks in our commitment – and obligation – to be stewards of the public airwaves and to protect and reflect the specific sensibilities of our communities. To be clear, our commitment to those principles has guided our decisions throughout this process, independent of any external influence from government agencies or individuals.”
In a statement, Sinclair said: "Our objective throughout this process has been to ensure that programming remains accurate and engaging for the widest possible audience. We take seriously our responsibility as local broadcasters to provide programming that serves the interests of our communities, while also honoring our obligations to air national network programming. Over the last week, we have received thoughtful feedback from viewers, advertisers, and community leaders representing a wide range of perspectives. We have also witnessed troubling acts of violence, including the despicable incident of a shooting at an ABC affiliate station in Sacramento. These events underscore why responsible broadcasting matters and why respectful dialogue between differing voices remains so important."
"In our ongoing and constructive discussions with ABC, Sinclair proposed measures to strengthen accountability, viewer feedback, and community dialogue, including a network-wide independent ombudsman," Sinclair added. "These proposals were suggested as collaborative efforts between the ABC affiliates and the ABC network. While ABC and Disney have not yet adopted these measures, and Sinclair respects their right to make those decisions under our network affiliate agreements, we believe such measures could strengthen trust and accountability."
Sinclair also stressed that "Our decision to preempt this program was independent of any government interaction or influence. Free speech provides broadcasters with the right to exercise judgment as to the content on their local stations. While we understand that not everyone will agree with our decisions about programming, it is simply inconsistent to champion free speech while demanding that broadcasters air specific content."
Both Sinclair and Nexstar have been criticized for preempting the program after FCC Chair Brendan Carr threatened to yank broadcast licenses from affiliates airing the program. Critics pointed out that both station groups have been pushing the FCC to eliminate ownership caps that limit the size of station groups.
