The television production company had announced the return of the Democratic host to the air, but the media group announced that, instead, they would broadcast news programming
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Media group Sinclair Broadcast Group announced on Monday that it will continue suspending the broadcast of the show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on its ABC affiliate stations, even after Disney's announcement about the show's return on Tuesday.
Sinclair's decision comes after the abhorrent comments made by host Jimmy Kimmel regarding the murder of Charlie Kirk, conservative figure and founder of Turning Point USA.
In a statement, Sinclair reported that it will replace Kimmel's slot with news programming and that discussions with ABC are ongoing.
The company, which operates 30 ABC affiliates across the United States, had already decided to pull the show the previous week, joining Nexstar, another major operator of ABC affiliate channels, as a form of protest against the host's comments.
La decisión del Grupo Sinclair se produce tras las declaraciones de Kimmel sobre el asesinato de Charlie Kirk
Sinclair's vice president, Jason Smith, described Kimmel's statements as "inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical time for the country." The company stated that it will not allow the show's return to its channels until clear corrective actions have been taken, both by Kimmel and the ABC network.
Among those measures, Sinclair demands a public apology from Jimmy Kimmel to Charlie Kirk's family and a significant donation to both the family and Turning Point USA.
In the company's words: "Regardless of ABC's plans for the future of the show, Sinclair has no intention of returning 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' to our programming until we are confident that appropriate steps have been taken to uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform."
El Grupo Sinclair exige una inmediata disculpa pública de Kimmel a la familia de Charlie Kirk
The controversy began when Kimmel made sarcastic and offensive comments about Kirk's murder, which sparked a wave of criticism in conservative media and on social networks.
The reaction was so strong that even the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reportedly issued a veiled warning, which contributed to Disney temporarily suspending the show's production last Wednesday.
During that suspension period, Kimmel, according to internal sources, refused to offer a public apology, further complicating the situation with affiliate stations. However, Disney decided on Monday to lift the suspension and officially announced the show's return, stating that "thoughtful conversations" had taken place with the host.
Brendan Carr, presidente de la FCC, expresó que Kimmel podría enfrentar acciones legales
In its statement, Disney explained: "Last Wednesday we made the decision to suspend the show's production to avoid further aggravating a tense situation at an emotional time for the country. It was a decision based on the sensitivity of the moment. Over the past few days we've had deep conversations with Jimmy, and after these conversations we decided that the show will return on Tuesday."
Nevertheless, the return of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" will be partial, since it will not air on Sinclair or Nexstar stations, at least until both companies are satisfied with the actions taken by Kimmel and Disney.
