Television viewers in markets as diverse as Washington, D.C.; Portland, Ore.; Seattle; Little Rock; and Eureka-Arcata, Calif., will be able to tune in to their local ABC affiliate this evening and see for themselves what Jimmy Kimmel had to share on his big Tuesday night return after a six-day suspension over comments made about the suspected assassin of Charlie Kirk.
Sinclair Inc. on Friday confirmed that it will end its preemption of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” As such, the show will return this evening to all of Sinclair’s ABC affiliates.
Tonight’s episode? A rebroadcast of the Tuesday episode featuring actor Glen Powell and singer Sarah McLachlan.
Explaining its decision to end its boycott of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” Baltimore-headquartered Sinclair said, “Our objective throughout this process has been to ensure that programming remains accurate and engaging for the widest possible audience. We take seriously our responsibility as local broadcasters to provide programming that serves the interests of our communities, while also honoring our obligations to air national network programming.”
Input from those who consume Sinclair’s ABC affiliates also played a factor.
“Over the last week, we have received thoughtful feedback from viewers, advertisers, and community leaders representing a wide range of perspectives,” Sinclair said. “We have also witnessed troubling acts of violence, including the despicable incident of a shooting at an ABC affiliate station in Sacramento.”
Sinclair is referring to KXTV-10, a TEGNA property.
“These events underscore why responsible broadcasting matters and why respectful dialogue between differing voices remains so important,” Sinclair said, adding, “In our ongoing and constructive discussions with ABC, Sinclair proposed measures to strengthen accountability, viewer feedback, and community dialogue, including a network-wide independent ombudsman. These proposals were suggested as collaborative efforts between the ABC affiliates and the ABC network. While ABC and Disney have not yet adopted these measures, and Sinclair respects their right to make those decisions under our network affiliate agreements, we believe such measures could strengthen trust and accountability.”
Finally, Sinclair affirmed that its decision to preempt the program “was independent of any government interaction or influence. Free speech provides broadcasters with the right to exercise judgment as to the content on their local stations. While we understand that not everyone will agree with our decisions about programming, it is simply inconsistent to champion free speech while demanding that broadcasters air specific content.”
Lastly, Sinclair said that as it is “a company rooted in local stations, Sinclair remains committed to serving our communities with programming that reflects their priorities, earns their trust, and promotes constructive dialogue. We look forward to continuing to work with ABC to deliver content that serves a broad spectrum of our communities.”
