Overview

• Jimmy Kimmel resumed his show after a nearly weeklong suspension and said he never intended to make light of Charlie Kirk’s killing or blame a political group, while declining to apologize.
• Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group continued to block the program on about 70 ABC stations, leaving viewers in several markets to watch via digital platforms instead.
• Kimmel criticized the blackout as “not legal” and “un-American” and thanked supporters across the political spectrum, highlighting statements from conservatives who opposed government interference in comedy.
• FCC Chair Brendan Carr had warned broadcasters to “do this the easy way or the hard way,” a public admonition that drew bipartisan rebukes and that Kimmel lampooned on air.
• President Donald Trump denounced ABC’s reinstatement of Kimmel and threatened legal action, while Disney’s reversal followed a celebrity-backed free-speech campaign and reports of Disney+ cancellations; the suspect’s motive in Kirk’s killing remains under investigation.