HOLLYWOOD (CNS) – The ABC late-night show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will be back on the air Tuesday evening, after production was suspended last week following the host’s comments about the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Disney, the parent company of ABC, made the announcement Monday and also explained why it suspended the show.
“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,” according to a Disney statement. “It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. 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.”
Even though the show is returning to production, not all ABC affiliates will resume airing the program.
Sinclair, the nation’s largest ABC affiliate group, said last week its stations would not air “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on any of its stations until “formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability.”
Following Disney’s announcement about the show’s return, Sinclair issued a statement Monday afternoon saying, “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.”
The company last week had called upon Kimmel “to issue a direct apology to the Kirk family. Furthermore, we ask Mr. Kimmel to make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA.”
Nexstar Media Group, which also said its television stations would not air the show last week in response to Kimmel’s remarks, announced Tuesday morning that it would continue keeping the show off its stations.
“We made a decision last week to preempt `Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ following what ABC referred to as Mr. Kimmel’s `ill-timed and insensitive’ comments at a critical time in our national discourse. 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 a statement.
“In the meantime, we note that `Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ will be available nationwide on multiple Disney-owned streaming products, while our stations will focus on continuing to produce local news and other programming relevant to their respective markets.”
Stations owned by Sinclair and Nexstar represent about 25% of the national market, according to the Los Angeles Times.
ABC7, the Los Angeles ABC affiliate, is not owned by either company.
There has been no public comment from Kimmel.
The announcement from Disney reinstating the show came about an hour after a group of Southland Democratic lawmakers gathered in Hollywood on Monday to denounce the show’s suspension.
“The reason that this should concern all Americans is that this administration’s actions could threaten speech for both conservatives and liberals,” Rep. Laura Friedman, D-Los Angeles, said during the late-morning news conference near the El Capitan Entertainment Complex on Hollywood Boulevard, where Kimmel’s show is based.
“This cuts all ways. In fact, even (Republican) Senator Ted Cruz, an official who I agree with very infrequently, recently said that what Trump’s (Federal Communications Commission) did was, quote, `incredibly dangerous.’ … So again this is not a partisan issue, it is an American issue.”
The show of support came on the same day the American Civil Liberties Union published an open letter in support of Kimmel — signed by more than 400 “artists,” including Jamie Lee Curtis, Jason Bateman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Martin Short, Natalie Portman, Regina King, Jane Fonda and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
“We now find ourselves in a modern McCarthy era, facing exactly the type of heavy-handed government censorship our Constitution rightfully forbids,” ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero said in a statement. “The silencing of Jimmy Kimmel and jawboning of media outlets through lawsuits and threats to their licenses evoke dark memories of the 1950s.”
ABC announced last week it was at least temporarily pulling the plug on production on its late-night staple, which has aired since 2004.
During his Sept. 15 show, Kimmel addressed the assassination of Kirk and the reaction to it, saying, “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.”
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr lashed out at Kimmel the following Wednesday, suggesting the agency would consider taking action against ABC affiliates that continued to air Kimmel’s show. Carr, appearing on a podcast, said affiliates should refuse to air Kimmel due to “the possibility of license revocation from the FCC.”
Among those taking part in Monday’s Hollywood gathering in support of Kimmel were Reps. Ted Lieu, Judy Chu, Nanette Barragán and Gil Cisneros. They were joined by members of the Writers Guild of America; the Directors Guild of America; the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE); and the Teamsters, discussing the impact of Kimmel’s suspension on the industry in general.
“Free speech is not a suggestion or a footnote, it is the very first amendment of the Constitution,” Friedman said. “Put first because the founding fathers in their wisdom understood just how important it was in a democracy to have free speech.
“This was the government that they envisioned and we have kept healthy for almost 250 years. It’s clear that Trump’s allies think the First Amendment comes with an asterisk. They think that it means you get free speech as long as Donald Trump likes it.”
Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement Monday night declaring, “The attempt to censor Jimmy Kimmel and free speech in America has failed. Systematically, this administration has attempted to shred the very fabric of freedom and liberty in this country by targeting and censoring voices that disagree with the president.
“The problem for them is that this will only make them louder. I stand with Jimmy and look forward to the show tomorrow night.”
Trump last week hailed Kimmel’s suspension on his Truth Social site, writing “Great news for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is cancelled. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has zero talent and worse ratings than even (Stephen) Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy (Fallon) and Seth (Meyers), two total losers, on fake news NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!”
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot while speaking to students at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The accused gunman, Tyler Robinson, 22, was charged last week with murder, and prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty if he is convicted.
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