Jimmy Kimmel’s Return Will Not Air On Some TV Stations

"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" is set to return to screens Tuesday night after the show was suspended last week following its host's controversial statement about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

However, ABC affiliate Nexstar Media Group said it would continue to preempt the 21-year-old talk show, citing 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,” a Nexstar statement read. “In the meantime, we note that 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' will be available nationwide on multiple Disney-owned streaming products, while our stations will focus on continuing to produce local news and other programming relevant to their respective markets.”

Nexstar joins another ABC affiliate, Sinclair Broadcast Group, which is also keeping Kimmel off its stations. As a result of the two groups’ decision to keep the show off the air, tens of millions of screens across the nation will not broadcast Kimmel’s return.

The suspension of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" stems from a comment he made during his Sept. 15 episode:

“The MAGA gang (is) desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it."

Kimmel was referring to the Kirk assassination suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who was arrested two days after the murder.

Officials say Robinson was raised as a conservative in Utah but became very political in recent years. His parents told investigators he had turned politically left and pro-LBGTQ+ rights in the last year, according to authorities.

Kimmel also took jabs at President Donald Trump specifically, during the episode’s opening monologue.

In response to the comments, Trump-appointed Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr warned ABC-owner Disney that “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” ahead of the suspension, according to NBC News.

Trump also commented on the show’s suspension, saying that Kimmel’s "lack of talent" is what got him "fired."

Backlash

The suspension of the late-night show has sparked discourse on First Amendment rights from politicians, comedians, and other prominent figures.

Fellow late-night host Stephen Colbert, an NJ resident, addressed the matter Thursday night on his show, saying the recent events are "blatant censorship, and it always starts small."

Local politicians have also voiced their opinion on the suspension, including Hoboken mayor and assembly candidates. Read more here.

In addition to protests sweeping the country, there's been a call across social media to boycott Disney and its affiliates.

More than 400 celebrities, including Tom Hanks, Selina Gomez, and Jennifer Anniston, signed an open letter this week from the American Civil Liberties Union that argues Kimmel’s suspension is “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.”

“Our long national late-night-mare is over,” said Colbert on his show following Kimmel’s reinstatement.

It is not clear when, or if, Nexstar or Sinclair will broadcast “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

According to reports, Carr has said that the F.C.C. is "not done yet," and is making changes to the "media ecosystem," implying that Kimmel’s show may still be on thin ice.