'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' to Return Nationwide Following Suspension
Viewers across the country will be able to watch Jimmy Kimmel Live! once again, as station owners nationwide agree to bring the late-night talk show back.
"We have had discussions with executives at The Walt Disney Company and appreciate their constructive approach to addressing our concerns," a spokesperson for Nexstar -- a media company that owns dozens of ABC stations across the U.S. -- told Axios.
Sinclair also agreed to air the talk show following a controversy that led ABC to pull the long-running series off the air, the outlet reported.
Hours before Nexstar's announcement, Sinclair -- another major affiliate owner -- said they would also go back to airing Jimmy Kimmel Live!
"Our objective throughout this process has been to ensure that programming remains accurate and engaging for the widest possible audience," a spokesperson for Sinclair said. "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."
The controversy began after Kimmel made comments regarding the death of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk and Donald Trump's reaction to his murder. The remarks, which were made during his opening monologue on September 15, were deemed controversial by the FCC and network owners who then put pressure on ABC to pull the plug.
ABC announced their decision to suspend the show indefinitely on September 17 but ultimately reinstated the series after receiving major backlash from viewers.
"Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country," Disney explained. "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."