Nexstar has joined the Sinclair Broadcasting Group in announcing that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to its ABC stations immediately.
Nexstar and Sinclair, the two largest television station operators in the United States, had been boycotting the late night talk show since last week following a controversy over Kimmel’s comments following the death of Charlie Kirk.
ABC initially took the late night show off the air entirely, but allowed Kimmel to return on Tuesday night. That episode was watched by 6.3 million viewers — more than tripling the show’s normal TV viewership.
Those figures were particularly impressive as Kimmel remained off air on all stations owned by Nexstar and Sinclair. An estimated 23 percent of households in the U.S. were unable to tune in to Kimmel’s return due to their decision not to air the show.
In a statement to Variety, Nexstar said: “We have had discussions with executives at The Walt Disney Company and appreciate their constructive approach to addressing our concerns. 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.”
In a separate statement, Sinclair said: “Our objective throughout this process has been to ensure that programming remains accurate and engaging for the widest possible audience. We take seriously our responsibility as local broadcasters to provide programming that serves the interests of our communities, while also honoring our obligations to air national network programming.
“Over the last week, we have received thoughtful feedback from viewers, advertisers, and community leaders representing a wide range of perspectives. We have also witnessed troubling acts of violence, including the despicable incident of a shooting at an ABC affiliate station in Sacramento. These events underscore why responsible broadcasting matters and why respectful dialogue between differing voices remains so important.
“In our ongoing and constructive discussions with ABC, Sinclair proposed measures to strengthen accountability, viewer feedback, and community dialogue, including a network-wide independent ombudsman.
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“These proposals were suggested as collaborative efforts between the ABC affiliates and the ABC network. While ABC and Disney have not yet adopted these measures, and Sinclair respects their right to make those decisions under our network affiliate agreements, we believe such measures could strengthen trust and accountability,” the statement read.
It has been widely suggested that the boycott by the two operators was a reaction to comments made by Brendan Carr, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. However, both companies claimed in their statements that the decision to take Kimmel off the air was purely their own.
Nexstar said: “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.”
While Sinclair added: “Our decision to preempt this program was independent of any government interaction or influence. Free speech provides broadcasters with the right to exercise judgment as to the content on their local stations. While we understand that not everyone will agree with our decisions about programming, it is simply inconsistent to champion free speech while demanding that broadcasters air specific content.
“As a company rooted in local stations, Sinclair remains committed to serving our communities with programming that reflects their priorities, earns their trust, and promotes constructive dialogue. We look forward to continuing to work with ABC to deliver content that serves a broad spectrum of our communities.”
During Thursday night’s show, Kimmel joked about Sinclair and Nexstar’s boycott and thanked President Trump for the ratings boost.
“It’s been a tumultuous week. Even though we’re still being pre-empted in 60 American cities, on Tuesday, we had our second-highest-rated show in almost 23 years on the air,” the host told viewers.
“The monologue from Tuesday night has more than 21 million views just on YouTube alone. And I want to say we couldn’t have done it without you, Mr President. Thank you very much.”
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