Fans of late-night talk shows and Jimmy Kimmel are no doubt happy with the announced return of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on ABC. Some consumers, however, won't be able to watch Kimmel's return because one of the largest regional television operators in the country is refusing to air his show.
Jimmy Kimmel Returns
ABC owner The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) announced Monday that it would bring back "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" after a suspension that lasted less than a week.
"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," Disney said in a statement. "It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive."
Disney said it has been in touch with Kimmel in recent days. "After those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday."
While ABC is bringing back Kimmel's late-night talk show, not all ABC stations will air it on Tuesday night. Among them is regional TV operator Sinclair Broadcast Group (NASDAQ:SBGI), which announced the show will not air on its 39 ABC affiliate stations nationwide.
"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," Sinclair said in a post on social media.
Sinclair had previously pulled the show before ABC announced the suspension news. Regional television operator Nexstar Media Group (NASDAQ:NXST) also announced it would not air Kimmel's show last week after the comedian's comments about Charlie Kirk.
Nexstar has not announced a decision on whether it will air Kimmel's show Tuesday night. Benzinga reached out for comment and did not hear back.
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Sinclair Users Left Out
A map of Sinclair's 39 ABC stations shows coverage of 18 states and Washington, D.C. Consumers who have Hulu + Live can stream the show Tuesday night, while others may have to wait until Wednesday.
Sinclair's website displays the station locations and also lists the Designated Market Area rank, indicating the size of the viewership area in the United States. Here are the largest covered markets by Sinclair for its ABC stations:
- Washington D.C.: #8
- Seattle, Washington: #12
- Portland, Oregon: #22
- St. Louis, Missouri: #24
- Columbus, Ohio: #32
Regional TV Battles Disney
Sinclair's decision not to air Kimmel's return may not be a huge surprise given their comments at the time of the plan to suspend the show.
"Mr. Kimmel's remarks were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country," Sinclair’s vice chairman Jason Smith said last week.
Sinclair called on Kimmel to issue an apology to the Kirk family and a "meaningful" donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA.
The TV operator said they would not lift their suspension on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" until they held talks with ABC about commitments to accountability.
A report from the New York Post said Kimmel will address the controversy during his opening monologue Tuesday, but likely won't be issuing a full apology.
As previously reported by Benzinga, Nexstar's decision to suspend the Kimmel show comes as the media company hopes to get regulatory approval on its merger with Tegna Inc (NYSE:TGNA). The company announced its decision to remove Kimmel's show after FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr made comments about the late-night talk show host on a podcast.
Turning Point USA, the organization founded by Kirk, has also encouraged regional television operators not to bring Kimmel's show back, reported the New York Post.
"He's an unrepentant liar, and affiliates have every right to demand accountability," Turning Point USA tweeted.
For Disney, the media company has likely faced a tough decision regarding Kimmel's show, especially if the late-night host does not apologize.
Searches for "how to cancel Disney+" and "how to cancel Hulu" have surged, which could indicate potential streaming subscriber losses. A petition signed by over 400 Hollywood figures was also signed in support of Kimmel, along with the major unions backing the late-night talk show host.
Disney faced potential backlash from actors, directors and writers if it didn't bring the show back.
On the other hand, Disney could now face potential backlash from the FCC and Trump’s White House for bringing Kimmel back. This could lead to the company's acquisition of media assets from the NFL being blocked and any other future acquisitions facing increased scrutiny.
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