Where you can't watch Jimmy Kimmel, mapped
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Jimmy Kimmel is set to return to television, but not everywhere.
The big picture: Disney is bringing back "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" after a week-long suspension, but two big TV station owners will block the show from more than a quarter of ABC affiliates.
Driving the news: Kimmel's on-air comments on conservatives' reaction to Charlie Kirk's killing sparked a backlash that resulted in Disney suspending Kimmel's show.
- That backlash led to another backlash from public figures, Disney customers, and policymakers who said the company was caving to the Trump administration's crackdown on free speech.
- More than 400 actors, musicians and creatives signed an ACLU letter Monday warning that Kimmel's suspension reflected government retaliation and posed a broader threat to free speech.
State of play: Disney reversed course and said the show would return Tuesday.
- But that didn't stop two of the country's largest local TV owners — Sinclair and Nexstar — from defying Disney's decision and keeping Kimmel off the air.
What they're saying: Disney said in a statement it suspended the show "to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country."
- "It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday."
The other side: Sinclair said it will keep pre-empting the show across its ABC affiliates, replacing it with news programming while talks with ABC continue.
- "Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming," the company said in a statement
- Nexstar said Tuesday its affiliates will also pre-empt the show, "pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve."
- It noted "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" remains available through Disney's streaming platforms.
Between the lines: The United States' culture war has launched a proxy war across airwaves.
By the numbers: Together, Sinclair and Nexstar control more than 25% of ABC's local affiliates, according to Reuters.
- Their stations reach about 23% of U.S. households.
The groups yanked Kimmel's show from their affiliates after criticism of the late night host from Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr.
- Carr warned ABC stations of potential repercussions if they didn't act.
- He also applauded broadcasters that pre-empted the show.
The other side: The FCC's lone Democratic commissioner, Anna Gomez, told Axios last week the Trump administration is "weaponizing its licensing authority in order to bring broadcasters to heel."
