What role did Nexstar and Sinclair play in ABC's Jimmy Kimmel suspension? Regulatory context explored

Jimmy Kimmel Live! was suspended indefinitely by ABC. The reason was the comments Jimmy Kimmel made about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

As reported by Reuters, in one monologue, Kimmel said,

“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.”

He also mocked former President Trump’s public mourning with.

“This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish.

These remarks led to criticism from political figures, station groups, and regulators. Nexstar and Sinclair, large owners of ABC affiliate stations, responded by refusing to air the show on their stations.

At the same time, FCC Chair Brendan Carr made public statements warning of potential regulatory consequences for those who continued to broadcast the show without addressing concerns. These combined actions pressured ABC into suspending the program.

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Nexstar’s decision to preempt the program

Nexstar said its ABC stations would “preempt” Jimmy Kimmel Live! for the foreseeable future and replace the show with other programming. The company’s broadcast president, Andrew Alford, described Jimmy Kimmel’s comments as offensive and said continuing to air the show in Nexstar markets would not be in the public interest. Nexstar owns many ABC affiliates, so its action removed the program from dozens of local TV markets at once.

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Sinclair’s replacement programming and demands

Sinclair announced it would not return Kimmel’s show to its ABC stations and planned a tribute special for Charlie Kirk in the timeslot. Sinclair also asked the host to apologize and make a donation to the Kirk family and to Turning Point USA, and it called for further accountability measures before considering a return.

Those steps signaled that Sinclair expected more than a network suspension. It sought specific remedies tied to its view of what local audiences should receive.

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FCC chair’s public statements as a pressure point for Jimmy Kimmel Live

FCC Chair Brendan Carr publicly criticized Jimmy Kimmel’s remarks and urged local broadcasters to consider taking action, saying the commission had remedies it could examine.

He said,

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel … or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

Carr praised Nexstar’s move and suggested that stations have obligations under their broadcast licenses to serve local community standards. While the FCC did not immediately levy penalties, Carr’s statements were widely read as raising the regulatory cost of keeping the program on air.

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How ABC’s decision followed affiliate and regulatory signals?

After the station groups announced preemptions and the FCC chair spoke out, ABC said it would preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely. The network did not publish a detailed checklist for the show’s return.

The sequence, from host remarks to affiliate refusals, regulator statements, and ultimately network suspension, illustrates how local carriage decisions, combined with regulatory pressure, can shape a national network’s programming choices.