Jimmy Kimmel‘s return to late night TV is set to be a ratings disaster after 70 ABC affiliate stations said they would not be broadcasting Tuesday’s show.
Nexstar said Tuesday morning it would not be screening Jimmy Kimmel Live! on the 38 ABC stations it owns, Variety reported.
The broadcasting conglomerate joins the Sinclair Broadcast Group, which has already said it will not screen Kimmel’s comeback on the 32 ABC affiliates it owns.
Nexstar is the largest owner of ABC affiliates. Its stations include KOMO in Seattle and KATU in Portland – two liberal enclaves whose locals are natural Kimmel viewers and who are likely vital to his success.
That means close to a third of ABC’s 230 local-level stations will not run the network’s flagship talk show, which was pulled off the air last Wednesday.
Kimmel’s show will also be drained of vital advertiser cash that would have been spent had his show aired on the affiliates as usual.
Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr threatened ABC after Kimmel said that MAGA was trying to distance itself from Charlie Kirk’s suspected assassin, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, on September 15.
Nextstar was the first ABC affiliate owner to announce it would not be airing Kimmel’s show Wednesday in response. In a statement, it said it would replace Kimmel’s show with news programming pending further ‘discussions with ABC.’
Jimmy Kimmel’s comeback show on Tuesday night will not be aired by 70 ABC affiliate TV stations across the US
Pictured, Nexstar founder Perry Sook on stage during NATPE Miami 2020. The company said Tuesday morning it would not be screening Jimmy Kimmel Live! on the 38 ABC stations it owns,
‘We made a decision last week to preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” following what ABC referred to as Mr. Kimmel’s “ill-timed and insensitive” comments at a critical time in our national discourse,’ it read.
‘We stand by that decision pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve.
‘In the meantime, we note that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will be available nationwide on multiple Disney-owned streaming products, while our stations will focus on continuing to produce local news and other programming relevant to their respective markets.’
Hours before, on Monday, Sinclair also said in a statement that it has not changed its position on Kimmel and that it too would continue talks with ABC.
Disney announced earlier in the day that it was reversing the ‘indefinite’ hiatus ordered Monday amid backlash over Kimmel’s comments.
Developing story, check back for updates…
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