Overview

• ABC ended a six-day suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! after saying Kimmel’s earlier remarks were ill-timed and insensitive, citing “thoughtful conversations” with the host.
• Nexstar and Sinclair said they will continue to preempt the program on their ABC affiliates and fill the slot with other programming, affecting roughly 23% of U.S. households.
• FCC Chair Brendan Carr urged stations to drop the show and warned of possible regulatory action, prompting industry and civil liberties concerns about government coercion.
• Kimmel was expected to address the controversy on his first night back, with ABC carrying the show in most markets and clips available online for viewers lacking local access.
• The dispute underscores affiliates’ legal right to preempt network content, with both Nexstar and Sinclair facing significant matters before the FCC, including Nexstar’s proposed Tegna acquisition.