Despite ABC revoking Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, Nexstar and Sinclair refused to air his show over “insensitivity” following his MAGA remarks.
A day after the suspension order on Jimmy Kimmel’s show was revoked, local TV stations owned by Nexstar and Sinclair announced they would continue to refuse to air the program, citing concerns over its “insensitivity.” BBC quoted Nexstar and Sinclair, which together operate dozens of ABC-affiliated stations, stating that they would 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 off the air last week after Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, along with networks of affiliate stations, threatened ABC over Kimmel’s comments made during a monologue about the MAGA movement’s response to Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
This controversy sparked a debate between supporters of President Donald Trump’s administration and Kimmel regarding 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.
Later, 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