"Preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live!": Sinclair confirms blackout of show on ABC affiliates despite return

After six days off air, the Jimmy Kimmel Show is making a comeback. The news was announced by Disney on September 22 in a statement that read:

"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"

Following the news, Sinclair, which owns the biggest group of ABC stations, posted a statement on X that read:

"Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming. Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return."

In Sinclair's previous statement made on Kimmel, the company stated that it will:

"not lift the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on its stations until formal discussions are held with ABC about the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability. The company also urged Jimmy Kimmel to issue a direct apology to the Kirk family and requested that he make a personal donation to both the Kirk family and Turning Point USA."

As of now, Kimmel has not publicly addressed the matter or shared a statement on social media. The situation remains ongoing as discussions between ABC and Sinclair continue.

Why was production on Jimmy Kimmel's show suspended last Wednesday?

Along with announcing the show's return, Disney also shared the reason behind its suspension in their statement, referring to the comments Kimmel made about Charlie Kirk.

"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."

To know what Kimmel said about Charlie Kirk, check this: How did POTUS Donald Trump react to ABC's suspension of Jimmy Kimmel over Charlie Kirk controversy? All you need to know

President Donald Trump also slammed Kimmel recently at Charlie Kirk's memorial, which was held on September 21. In a statement, during his speech, he said:

"Some of the very people who call you a hater for using the wrong pronoun were filled with glee at the killing of a father with two beautiful young children. And the same commentators who this week were screaming fascism over a cancelled late-night TV show where the anchor had no talent and no ratings."

Although Trump did not directly name anyone in his speech regarding the show’s suspension, it was evident that his comments were directed at Kimmel.

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Both ABC and Sinclair are continuing discussions, with no further updates from Kimmel as of now.

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