Sinclair brings Jimmy Kimmel's show back to its ABC-affiliated stations, ending blackout

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NEW YORK (AP) — Sinclair Broadcast Group is bringing Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show back to its ABC affiliate stations on Friday night, ending a dayslong TV blackout for dozens of cities across the U.S. over remarks the comedian made in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk's killing.

“Our objective throughout this process has been to ensure that programming remains accurate and engaging for the widest possible audience,” Sinclair, which operates 38 ABC affiliates, said in a statement Friday afternoon. “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.”

Disney-owned ABC suspended Kimmel on Sept. 17, following threats of potential repercussions from the Trump-appointed head of the Federal Communications Commission. Nexstar, another affiliates group, had also announced it would preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” before ABC’s decision, and Sinclair also condemned the host.

The Maryland-based broadcast giant, which is known for conservative political content, called on Kimmel to apologize to Kirk’s family — and taking it a step further, asked him to “make a meaningful personal donation” to Turning Point USA, the nonprofit that Kirk founded.

Even after Disney brought Kimmel back to its national airways on Tuesday, both Sinclair and Nexstar continued to preempt the show. Nexstar did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment from The Associated Press following Sinclair's decision to end its blackout.

In its statement Friday, Sinclair said it received “thoughtful feedback from viewers, advertisers and community leaders representing a wide range of perspectives,” and noticed “troubling acts of violence," referencing the shooting into the lobby of a Sacramento station.

“These events underscore why responsible broadcasting matters and why respectful dialogue between differing voices remains so important,” Sinclair added.

As a result of Sinclair and Nexstar's boycott, viewers in cities like Washington, D.C., and Seattle had been left without the late-night program on local TV. The blackouts escalated nationwide uproar around First Amendment protections — particularly as President Donald Trump’s administration and other conservatives police speech after Kirk’s killing, and also cast a spotlight on political influence in the media landscape, with critics lambasting companies that they accuse of censoring content.

Kimmel’s original comments did not focus on Kirk, who was a close ally of Trump. But he took aim at Trump and his “MAGA gang” of supporters for their response to Kirk's killing, which Kimmel said included “finger-pointing” and attempts to characterize the alleged shooter as “anything other than one of them.”

These remarks angered many supporters of Kirk — as well as FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who accused Kimmel of appearing to “directly mislead the American public” with his remarks about the man accused of the killing. Ahead of Kimmel’s suspension, Carr warned that Disney and ABC’s local affiliates could face repercussions if the comedian was not punished.

He later applauded Sinclair, as well as Nexstar, for their decisions to preempt the show.

On Sept. 17, Sinclair Vice Chairman Jason Smith called Kimmel’s comments “inappropriate and deeply insensitive” and said that ABC’s suspension wasn’t enough. Smith added that Sinclair appreciated Carr’s comments — and called for “immediate regulatory action” from the FCC “to address control held over local broadcasters by the big national networks.”

Still, in Friday's announcement, Sinclair maintained that its decision to preempt Kimmel's show was "independent of any government interaction or influence,” Sinclair’s statement Friday read, adding that broadcasters had the right to exercise their own judgment.

“While we understand that not everyone will agree with our decision about programming, it is simply inconsistent to champion free speech while demanding that broadcasters air specific content," the company added.

While local TV affiliates broadcast their own programming, such as local news, they also contract with larger national broadcasters — and pay them to air their national content, splitting advertising revenue and fees from cable companies.

Sinclair said “constructive” discussions with ABC were ongoing, and said its proposals to the network to strengthen accountability, feedback and dialogue and appoint an ombudsman had not yet been adopted.

Representatives for ABC declined to comment on Friday.

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AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton contributed reporting from Los Angeles.