Despite ABC revoking Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, Nexstar and Sinclair refused to air his show over “insensitivity” following his MAGA remarks.
A day after ABC lifted the suspension order on Jimmy Kimmel’s show, several local TV stations refused to broadcast the program, citing concerns over its “insensitivity.” BBC quoted Nexstar and Sinclair—two major operators running dozens of ABC-affiliated stations—as stating they would continue to replace the show with regular programming on Tuesday.
“Mr. Kimmel’s remarks were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country,” said Sinclair’s vice-chairman Jason Smith.
The late-night talk show was abruptly pulled last week after Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr and affiliate station networks threatened ABC over comments Kimmel made in a monologue about the MAGA movement’s response to Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
This incident sparked a heated debate between supporters of former President Donald Trump’s administration and Kimmel’s advocates concerning government interference and freedom of speech.
On Monday, over 400 artists, including Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, and Jennifer Aniston, signed an open letter organized by the ACLU in support of Kimmel, CNN reported.
Subsequently, a spokesperson for the Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC, told CNN: “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.”
https://www.news18.com/world/tv-stations-refuse-to-air-insensitive-kimmels-show-despite-abc-lifting-suspension-ws-l-9592556.html