Jimmy Kimmel Set To Return To His Late-Night Show After ABC Lifts Suspension

Jimmy Kimmel is scheduled to make his return to late-night television on Tuesday following a suspension that lasted nearly a week

Jimmy Kimmel is poised to resume his late-night television duties on Tuesday after an almost weeklong suspension that sparked nationwide debate regarding freedom of speech and President Donald Trump's influence over the expression of journalists, commentators, and comedians.

However, two groups of ABC affiliates that criticized Kimmel last week announced they would not broadcast his return. Nexstar Media Group stated it would continue to preempt the show, "pending assurances that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve." Similarly, Sinclair Broadcast Group confirmed it would keep Kimmel off its stations. Together, these corporations control approximately one-quarter of ABC affiliates.

ABC, which suspended Kimmel's show last Wednesday following backlash over his remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, announced Monday that "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" would return after the network engaged in "thoughtful conversations" with the host.

"Our long national late nightmare is over," Stephen Colbert quipped on his CBS show in response to Kimmel's reinstatement.

ABC suspended Kimmel indefinitely after comments made during a monologue last week. Kimmel suggested that many Trump supporters were attempting to profit from Kirk's death and were "desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them."

Trump-appointed Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr last week suggested that Kimmel appeared to be trying to "directly mislead the American public" with his statements about Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old Utah man charged with Kirk's killing, and his motivations. Those motives remain uncertain. Authorities indicate Robinson was raised in a conservative family, but his mother informed investigators that her son had shifted politically leftward over the past year.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," Carr remarked before ABC announced the suspension. "These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead."

These comments triggered significant backlash, with Republican Senator Ted Cruz comparing Carr's behavior to that of "a mafioso." Hundreds of entertainment celebrities, including Tom Hanks, Barbra Streisand, and Jennifer Aniston, signed a letter distributed by the American Civil Liberties Union that described ABC's decision as "a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation."

Some consumers expressed their disapproval of ABC parent company Disney by canceling subscriptions to its streaming services.

Trump had celebrated Kimmel's suspension, even incorrectly claiming the show had been canceled. Kimmel has consistently criticized Trump through his comedy.

Trump's administration has employed threats, lawsuits, and federal government pressure to attempt to exercise greater control over the media industry. Trump sued ABC and CBS over news coverage, which the companies settled. Trump has also filed defamation lawsuits against The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, and successfully urged Congress to withdraw federal funding from NPR and PBS.

How - or even whether - Kimmel would address the controversy on his first show back remained uncertain. Millions of viewers are expected to tune in.

Disney and ABC executives reportedly negotiated the return for several days before announcing the resolution. The ABC statement indicated the suspension occurred because some of Kimmel's comments were "ill-timed and thus insensitive," but did not characterize them as misleading.

Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, the organization founded by Kirk and now led by his widow, posted on X that "Disney and ABC caving and allowing Kimmel back on the air is not surprising, but it's their mistake to make."

The suspension occurred during a period of transformation in the late-night landscape. Shows are experiencing declining viewership, partly because many audiences watch highlights online the following day. CBS announced the cancellation of Colbert's show over the summer. Kimmel's contract with ABC reportedly extends through May.

Colbert, in his opening monologue Monday, held up his recently acquired Emmy Award for outstanding talk series, declaring, "Once more, I am the only martyr on late night!"

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)