Nexstar Media Group said Tuesday it is continuing to preempt late-night host Jimmy Kimmel‘s show, saying it will do so until “all parties” commit to creating a “respectful” environment.
Disney, the owner of ABC, announced Monday it will bring back Jimmy Kimmel Live! starting Tuesday night, about a week after the show was suspended over remarks Kimmel made about President Donald Trump’s response to Charlie Kirk’s assassination. However, Nexstar is not playing ball ahead of the show’s return, saying it preempted Kimmel’s show over comments he made “at a critical time in our national discourse.”
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“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. 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,” the statement read.
Sinclair said Monday it will continue preempting Kimmel’s show across its ABC affiliate stations and play news programming in its place.
Sinclair said last week it would air a special for Kirk in place of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Friday. However, it changed course last minute and continued ABC programming as scheduled, playing the Kirk special on YouTube instead.
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Kimmel’s suspension from TV drew ire from many Democratic lawmakers and their supporters. Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani canceled a town hall with WABC over the suspension.
The late-night host, a vocal critic of Trump, said last month that he obtained Italian citizenship. Celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O’Donnell, the latter having a decadeslong feud with Trump, have left the United States after the 2024 election.