Overview

• Sinclair said Friday it would restore the show on its 38 ABC affiliates, and Nexstar announced hours later that its ABC stations would also resume carriage.
• Disney/ABC had halted production on September 17, and Kimmel returned September 23 saying he never intended to make light of Charlie Kirk’s killing and defending free expression.
• The comeback drew outsized audiences, with the first YouTube clip reaching about 15.4 million views and the TV broadcast drawing 6.2 million viewers, the show’s best in a decade, according to Disney.
• Trump condemned the reinstatement and floated a possible lawsuit against ABC, while FCC chair Brendan Carr earlier warned affiliates of potential regulatory action over Kimmel’s comments.
• Prosecutors charged Tyler James Robinson in Kirk’s death with an aggravator for politically motivated victim selection, said they plan to seek the death penalty, and noted ongoing FBI involvement.