Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, is set to return to ABC on Tuesday after being suspended for comments he made regarding the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Local TV affiliates owned by Nexstar and Sinclair have announced that they will not air the show and will instead feature regular programming. Despite the return of Kimmel’s show, Nexstar stated that its decision to preempt it last week was due to concerns over “ill-timed and insensitive” remarks during a sensitive period for national discourse.
Sinclair’s vice-chairman Jason Smith described Kimmel’s comments as inappropriate. The decision to not air the show is said to be based on their ongoing commitment to promoting respectful dialogue within the communities served by these stations. Sinclair indicated that it would replace Kimmel’s program with local news on its affiliate stations while discussions with ABC about the show’s future are ongoing.
Kimmel’s monologue had suggested that political figures were attempting to distract from the actions of the alleged shooter, who was accused of holding “leftist ideology.” Following the backlash, Disney, the parent company of ABC, remarked that Kimmel’s comments were ill-timed and insensitive, prompting the suspension of the show. The network has since stated that they engaged in discussions with Kimmel that led to the decision to reinstate his show.
The incident has sparked discussions regarding censorship and freedom of speech. Hundreds of celebrities have expressed their support for Kimmel, while critics have accused both ABC and Disney of yielding to external pressure, including comments from former President Donald Trump, who suggested that some networks merit losing their broadcast licenses. Recent events have also raised concerns about safety, following an arrest related to a shooting incident connected to an ABC news affiliate.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4j0zldevyo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss