Sinclair Broadcast Group has decided to bring Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show back to its ABC affiliate stations

This image released by Disney shows Jimmy Kimmel hosting his late night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (Randy Holmes/Disney via AP)

BALTIMORE (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 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.”

...

The map above highlights the media markets where ABC affiliates have refused to air the Jimmy Kimmel show. (AP Digital Embed)

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 announced it would preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” before ABC's decision, and Sinclair also condemned the host. And even after Disney brought Kimmel back to its national airways on Tuesday, both Sinclair and Nexstar continued to preempt the show.

As a result, 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.