Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night hosting fate at ABC seems to be in his own hands, according to Sinclair, the largest ABC affiliate group. After Jimmy Kimmel Live! was pulled last week, the host’s position on television has been in doubt, but he has been receiving a huge wave of support from other late-night TV hosts such as Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, and Jon Stewart, as well as many celebrities who have called out Kimmel’s suspension as an attack on free speech. While Sinclair backed down on airing a Charlie Kirk tribute in the time slot Kimmel’s show would have usually aired on Friday, instead sharing a YouTube link to a video, they have made it clear that they expect Kimmel to make a “direct apology” to Kirk’s family for the comments made on his show if he wants to be reinstated. In their statement, Sinclair said:
“Sinclair also calls upon Mr. Kimmel to issue a direct apology to the Kirk family. Furthermore, we ask Mr. Kimmel to make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA. Regardless of ABC’s plans for the future of the program, Sinclair intends not to return Jimmy Kimmel Live! to our air until we are confident that appropriate steps have been taken to uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform.”
Sinclair Vice Chairman Jason Smith said in a statement, “Mr. Kimmel’s remarks were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country. We believe broadcasters have a responsibility to educate and elevate respectful, constructive dialogue in our communities. We appreciate FCC Chairman Carr’s remarks today and this incident highlights the critical need for the FCC to take immediate regulatory action to address control held over local broadcasters by the big national networks.”
When Will Jimmy Kimmel Live Be Back on Air?

ABC

Reports have suggested that Jimmy Kimmel will be meeting with ABC and Disney executives to discuss his future on the network. While it seems that the decision is being forced down the simple route of Kimmel admitting fault for his scripted comments and getting to return to his role, whether he will comply is uncertain. There have been suggestions that Kimmel would be happier ending his contract with ABC early, which would free him to seek out a new role somewhere else. After the show of support Kimmel has received from his peers, it doesn’t look like it would be hard for him to find a new show elsewhere. Whether what Kimmel said was something that warrants being made an example of is something that has been hotly debated for the last week. His comments on Kirk’s shooting, which were actually made about the shooting suspect, Tyler Robinson, and not Kirk directly, were not as controversial as other opinions shared in the wake of the incident. With many calling the treatment of Kimmel a direct attack on free speech in the U.S., is it something that Kimmel, or anyone in his position, should be forced to apologize for?

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Release Date

January 26, 2003

Network

ABC