Overview
- On Sept. 30, Jimmy Kimmel hosted Stephen Colbert in Brooklyn and appeared on The Late Show, with Seth Meyers joining for a "Hi Donald!" photo that signaled a united front.
- Kimmel told Colbert he learned of the Sept. 17 pull during a bathroom call about 90 minutes before taping, sent the audience home, and briefly believed his show was finished.
- Disney and ABC returned Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Sept. 23 after "thoughtful conversations," drawing about 6.3 million viewers on night one before viewership settled near 2.3 million later in the week.
- Nexstar and Sinclair, which had initially preempted the show on some ABC affiliates, ended their blackout and restored carriage late last week.
- FCC Chair Brendan Carr condemned Kimmel’s remarks and raised licensing threats, while President Trump celebrated the suspension and criticized the reinstatement, intensifying the free-speech fight.