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Jimmy Kimmel is set to return with “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Tuesday night, days after Disney suspended the late night show “indefinitely” following remarks the host made about the way many conservatives had immediately responded to Charlie Kirk’s killing.
Disney’s Monday announcement that Kimmel’s late night show was set to return followed fierce pushback from the public, and from many elected officials who were outraged that the company suspended the program over the host’s comments. More than 400 celebrities had signed a letter coordinated by the American Civil Liberties Union calling Kimmel’s suspension a “dark moment for freedom of speech.”
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During his live monologue on Monday’s show last week, Kimmel criticized Republicans for trying to “score political points” in the wake of Kirk’s killing. Many prominent conservatives had swiftly and publicly blamed Democrats for the fatal shooting of the right-wing influencer — even while the search for a suspect was still underway.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang 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 said at the time. “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”
On Monday, Donald Trump-appointed Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr denied the widely held belief that he pressured ABC and its parent company, Disney, to pull Kimmel’s show, saying he did not use intimidation tactics “in any way, shape or form.”
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Last week, during his appearance on a podcast hosted by right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson, Carr described Kimmel’s remarks about the response to Kirk’s killing as “the sickest conduct possible.”
“This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney,” he said at the time. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
Shortly after, ABC announced it was pulling Kimmel’s show indefinitely. Sinclair and Nexstar, two companies that own ABC affiliate stations across the U.S., had also announced that same day that they would not be airing the show on their stations. Both companies said this week that they would not be airing Kimmel’s return.
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So, if you’re planning to watch Kimmel on Tuesday night, you may be wondering how to catch the highly anticipated episode, and whether it’s even possible for you to watch it live on TV based on where you live.
Here’s what you need to know:
How do I watch the return of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ on Tuesday?
If you’re planning to watch the late night program live on TV Tuesday night, you may be able to tune in to ABC. “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is set to air live on most ABC stations on Sept. 23 at its usual time of 11:35 p.m. ET.
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But the show won’t be airing on all ABC affiliate stations.
Sinclair and Nexstar have both indicated that they will not be airing the show, even after Disney announced its return. Sinclair announced Monday that it will continue preempting the show across its ABC affiliate stations. It will replace the program with news programming.
“Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return,” the company said.
Nexstar similarly announced Tuesday that it will continue preempting the show, saying it’s standing by its decision to pull the program last week.
“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 company said in its statement.
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So, if you live in one of the areas across the U.S. where Sinclair or Nexstar owns and operates ABC affiliate stations, then you won’t be able to catch “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on TV tonight — or for the foreseeable future.
The two companies collectively control about one-quarter of ABC affiliates, according to The Associated Press. You can check out the list of Sinclair-owned ABC stations here, and Nexstar-owned ABC stations here.
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If you want to stream the program live, you can choose from several different options, including DirecTV, Hulu + LiveTV, or Fubo.
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