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“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is set to return to the airwaves Friday evening on Nexstar Media Group’s 23 ABC affiliate stations and nine other partner stations. “We have had discussions with executives at The Walt Disney Company and appreciate their constructive approach to addressing our concerns,” the company 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,” the company continued. “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.” Kimmel was indefinitely pulled from Sinclair and Nexstar Media Group’s stations last week over comments he made about Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin. Following Nexstar and Sinclair, ABC pulled Kimmel from its own airwaves in order to “avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country,” adding that some of his comments were “ill-timed and thus insensitive.” That move would trigger protests from writers and union members, calls to cancel Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ subscriptions, and an open letter from the American Civil Liberties Union signed by over 400 artists condemning the suspension. But after “thoughtful conversations” with Kimmel, a decision was reached for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” to return on Tuesday. However, Sinclair and Nexstar both continued to preempt the show as discussions with ABC about Kimmel’s potential return were ongoing. The move by Nexstar comes after Sinclair Broadcasting reached a similar agreement with Disney/ABC on Friday. It also comes as the company’s $6.2 billion merger with rival Tegna is pending before the Federal Communications Commission, whose chairman Brendan Carr has been a vocal critic of Kimmel and ABC. If approved, the Nexstar-Tegna merger would create a combined entity with a portfolio of stations representing 80% of U.S. households. Nexstar previously denied that the FCC played any role in its decision to pull Kimmel, arguing that it was made “unilaterally by the senior executive team” and that it had “no communication” with any government agency prior to making the decision.
