<\/p>\n
The two major television broadcasting companies that had blocked \u201cJimmy Kimmel Live!\u201d from airing have decided to lift their blackout on American televisions nationwide.<\/p>\n
Sinclair\u2019s decision came on Friday morning, after the late-night host returned to the screen Tuesday following Disney-owned ABC\u2019s decision to indefinitely suspend Jimmy Kimmel\u2019s show for comments he made last week surrounding the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.<\/p>\n
Nexstar Media Group Inc., which owns a significant portion<\/a> of local ABC stations, including ABC4 in Utah, lifted its boycott on the show late Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n \u201cOur objective throughout this process has been to ensure that programming remains accurate and engaging for the widest possible audience. We take seriously our responsibility as local broadcasters to provide programming that serves the interests of our communities, while also honoring our obligations to air national network programming,\u201d Sinclair said in a press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n The statement continued, \u201cOur decision to preempt this program was independent of any government interaction or influence. 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.\u201d<\/p>\n The show\u2019s return brought staggering ratings<\/a> following the controversy and suspension.<\/p>\n Nexstar also released a statement:<\/p>\n \u201cWe have had discussions with executives at The Walt Disney Company and appreciate their constructive approach to addressing our concerns. 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,\u201d the press release<\/a> said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe stand apart from cable television, monolithic streaming services, and national networks in our commitment \u2014 and obligation \u2014 to be stewards of the public airwaves and to protect and reflect the specific sensibilities of our communities. To be clear, our commitment to those principles has guided our decisions throughout this process, independent of any external influence from government agencies or individuals,” it continued.<\/p>\n This was a change from its initial statement on Tuesday, when the broadcasting company stood firm in continuing to preempt the Kimmel show for his \u201cill-timed and insensitive<\/a>\u201d comments.<\/p>\n Last week, Kimmel said, \u201cWe hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.\u201d<\/p>\n He also made fun of President Donald Trump\u2019s reaction to Kirk\u2019s assassination.<\/p>\nKimmel\u2019s return and TPUSA\u2019s reaction<\/h3>\n