Nexstar, Sinclair Preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! Over Charlie Kirk Controversy

Nexstar Media Group said Tuesday it will keep Jimmy Kimmel Live! off its ABC stations after the late-night host asserted that Charlie Kirk was killed by a MAGA supporter, a remark the company described as ill-timed and insensitive. The decision follows a widening clash between ABC’s network and its largest groups of local stations, as affiliate operators assert influence over national programming.

Sinclair Broadcast Group, which controls the largest cluster of ABC affiliates, announced a similar move a day earlier. In a statement distributed on social media, Sinclair said it would preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! across its ABC stations starting Tuesday evening and replace the time slot with locally produced news programming. The combined reach of Sinclair and Nexstar’s ABC-affiliated stations covers about a quarter of ABC’s national household audience, a measure that complicates ABC’s ability to bring Kimmel back to the air as planned.

The statements from Nexstar and Sinclair frame the dispute as a broader struggle over content and timing in an era of heightened sensitivity to political rhetoric. Nexstar said in its Monday-to-Tuesday note that its preemption was made “following what ABC referred to as Mr. Kimmel’s ‘ill-timed and insensitive’ comments at a critical time in our national discourse,” adding that the decision would remain in place unless there was an assurance that stations would “foster an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve.” Sinclair echoed the sentiment, stressing that the preemption would continue until affiliates are assured of a commitment to constructive dialogue in their coverage area.

Disney, which owns ABC, had signaled an intent to restore Kimmel to the air Tuesday after suspending him last week in response to the controversy. The moves by Nexstar and Sinclair complicate that plan, underscoring the power local affiliates hold over network schedules even as networks seek uniform timing for flagship programs. In written statements, both groups highlighted their authority to decide how network programming is presented to viewers in their markets, a dynamic that has grown more pronounced in recent years as political and social topics swirl through late-night television discourse.

As the two largest owners of ABC-affiliated stations, Nexstar and Sinclair’s combined influence on the network’s reach is considerable. The companies’ affiliates collectively account for a significant portion of ABC’s national audience, translating into meaningful leverage over whether a show returns, how it is edited for local air, and how quickly it is reinserted into prime-time or late-night blocks.

The conflict comes as advertisers and lawmakers scrutinize how media outlets handle controversial material, and it highlights the ongoing tension between network-level decision-making and local station autonomy. Analysts note that while networks set schedules, affiliate groups—particularly those with large clusters of stations—can block, alter or delay the rollout of national programming based on local market concerns or political considerations.

Disney’s push to restore Kimmel’s show remains in limbo as of Tuesday evening, with observers watching whether further reconciliations or concessions will bridge the gap between corporate directives and affiliate preferences. The unfolding standoff underscores a broader trend in which independent stations exercise greater clout over content decisions that were once largely network-driven.

The episode also illustrates how moments of political controversy can reverberate through the business of television, affecting ratings, ad-time commitments and the financial calculus around late-night programming. For ABC, the immediate concern is preserving a consistent return strategy for Kimmel while maintaining the trust and cooperation of a geographically diverse group of affiliates whose markets differ in audience composition and political climate.

In the near term, viewers in markets served by Nexstar- and Sinclair-owned ABC stations may see Kimmel’s return delayed or redirected to locally produced news blocks, a shift that could affect national advertising patterns and audience retention. While ABC management has publicly defended Kimmel’s program and its overall contribution to the network’s late-night lineup, the affiliates’ stance demonstrates that the path to resuming the show remains uncertain.

Ultimately, the dispute may extend beyond a single episode of controversy, testing the balance of power between network operators and local broadcast groups in determining what viewers see at night. As Disney audits the implications for its broader programming slate, observers will be watching closely to see whether the industry can establish a more unified framework for handling sensitive topics without sacrificing local-market autonomy.