‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Will Return Tuesday—But Not On Sinclair Stations

Core Viewpoint - The Walt Disney Company has decided to reinstate Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show after a suspension due to controversial comments, although it will not be aired on Sinclair Broadcast Group's affiliate stations [1][2]. Group 1: Decision and Reactions - Disney reached the decision to return Kimmel's show after "thoughtful conversations" with him, noting that the suspension was to avoid inflaming a tense situation in the country [2]. - The suspension followed scrutiny from prominent figures, including former President Barack Obama and former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, who criticized current CEO Bob Iger's leadership [2]. - Kimmel's refusal to apologize for his comments, which he believes were mischaracterized, contributed to the stalemate in discussions with Disney [2]. Group 2: Affiliate Station Responses - Sinclair Broadcast Group announced it will preempt Kimmel's show on its ABC affiliate stations, replacing it with news programming, which could significantly limit the show's viewership [3]. - Sinclair had previously demanded an apology from Kimmel and a donation to the family of Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist whose murder prompted Kimmel's controversial comments [3]. - Nexstar also announced it would preempt the show from its ABC affiliate stations but has not commented on Kimmel's return [3]. Group 3: Kimmel's Controversial Comments - Kimmel's suspension was triggered by a monologue in which he criticized the political response to the murder of Charlie Kirk, making jokes about President Trump's reaction [4]. - He described Trump's behavior as immature and inappropriate for someone grieving a friend's murder [4]. Group 4: Stock Market Reaction - Following the announcement of Kimmel's return, Disney shares rose nearly $1 before stabilizing in after-hours trading, although the stock is down 2.6% over the last five trading days [5].