Syracuse, N.Y. — After a week of nationwide controversy, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will return to local television in Syracuse Friday night.
Nexstar Media Group, owners of WSYR, confirmed that it will resume airing Kimmel’s late-night show Friday. Sinclair Broadcast Group made the same decision hours earlier.
Nexstar pulled Kimmel over his comments about the accused shooter in Charlie Kirk’s death and still refused to air the show after ABC ended its nearly weeklong suspension Tuesday. Their ban lasted three episodes
The move comes after talks with the Walt Disney Co., Nexstar said.
“As a local broadcaster, Nexstar remains committed to protecting the First Amendment while producing and airing local and national news that is fact-based and unbiased and, above all, broadcasting content that is in the best interest of the communities we serve,” the company said.
Sinclair said last week it was demanding Kimmel personally apologize to the Kirk family and that he makes “a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA.” On Friday, the broadcaster said ABC and its parent company, Disney, have not adopted any changes proposed by Sinclair.
Kimmel has not publicly apologized, but said Tuesday, “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man.” Kimmel also criticized Sinclair and Nexstar, which refused to air his show on ABC affiliates, as “un-American” and accused them of stifling free speech under pressure from the Trump administration.
Nexstar and Sinclair, control over 20% of ABC affiliates. Both have been lobbying the FCC for deregulation.
Nexstar has asked the Trump administration to relax media ownership limits so it can complete a $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna that would give the company 265 TV stations in 44 states. A current Federal Communications Commission rule states no one company can hold local broadcast stations reaching more than 39% of U.S. households.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. on ABC, including locally on WSYR, Channel 9.
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