is a senior reporter covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme.
Sinclair Broadcasting will air Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show on its 38 ABC affiliate stations once again, the company announced, after Disney reinstated Kimmel from a suspension earlier this week. Along with fellow broadcast company Nexstar, Sinclair had suspended airing Kimmel’s show under pressure from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, but Sinclair initially chose to replace Jimmy Kimmel Live! with “news programming” even after the reinstatement, but the show will be back this evening, with Sinclair airing a rerun of Kimmel’s Tuesday episode, Variety reports.
In a statement, Sinclair downplayed the influence of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who last week threatened broadcasters that aired Kimmel’s show. The threats came after Kimmel made a joke about the alleged shooter of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, and they were almost immediately followed by Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s removal from Sinclair and another broadcaster, Nexstar, then his suspension at ABC. “Our decision to preempt this program was independent of any government interaction or influence,” Sinclair said. “Free speech provides broadcasters with the right to exercise judgment as to the content on their local stations. While we understand that not everyone will agree with our decisions about programming, it is simply inconsistent to champion free speech while demanding that broadcasters air specific content.”
Sinclair also said it’s had discussions with ABC where it “proposed measures to strengthen accountability, viewer feedback, and community dialogue, including a network-wide independent ombudsman.” The company adds that “while ABC and Disney have not yet adopted these measures, and Sinclair respects their right to make those decisions under our network affiliate agreements, we believe such measures could strengthen trust and accountability.”
Nexstar, which owns about 30 ABC affiliates, according to CNBC, has not stated whether it will resume airing Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Nexstar didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment. Disney SVP of strategic communications Richard Horrmann declined to comment.