Sinclair will replace “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” with local news on its 39 ABC stations, demanding an apology and donation while formal talks with the network continue.
Sinclair Broadcast Group said it will preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! on its ABC affiliates when the late-night show is scheduled to return, replacing the program with local news programming while talks with the network continue.
According to Deadline, In a statement, Sinclair said discussions with ABC are “ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return” and reiterated its objections to recent remarks by host Jimmy Kimmel.
The move comes after ABC announced Kimmel’s return following a wave of controversy in the entertainment community and among conservatives over a recent monologue. During that monologue Kimmel criticized “the MAGA gang” and said, “We had 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,” language that prompted fierce condemnation on the right.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr warned the network and its stations that the matter could draw regulatory scrutiny, saying the commission could take action if standards aren’t met.
Nexstar Media Group, which operates 32 ABC affiliates, quickly pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! from its stations in the wake of the controversy; ABC later said Kimmel would be taken off the air indefinitely.
Nexstar has not announced whether it will ultimately restore the show and has been described as monitoring the situation. Sinclair — which owns or controls 39 ABC-affiliated stations, including WJLA in Washington, D.C. — said it informed ABC of its objections and demanded a direct apology to the Kirk family as well as a “meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA” before ending its suspension.
The station group also said it would not lift its suspension until it holds formal discussions with ABC regarding “the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability.” Sinclair briefly planned a Charlie Kirk tribute special for Kimmel’s time slot, but later moved that special to its YouTube channel and ran a rerun of Celebrity Family Feud in its place.
Together, Sinclair and Nexstar account for roughly one-quarter of ABC’s household reach, raising the stakes for the network as it considers the host’s future. The dispute also intersects with larger regulatory and business issues: Nexstar’s proposed acquisition of Tegna is pending before the FCC and could hinge on whether ownership limits — including a rule barring any single company from reaching more than 39% of U.S. households — are altered.
Sinclair has likewise pursued major transactions and advocated for changes to ownership rules, factors that add complexity to the standoff between network and station groups.