After ABC’s decision last week to pull Jimmy Kimmel off the air “indefinitely,” he’s coming back.
On Monday, Disney, which owns ABC, said the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host would return and the show would resume on Tuesday.
“Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive,” the Walt Disney Company said in a statement. “We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”
The controversy started on Wednesday, September 17, when Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr took aim at Kimmel’s comments about the death of Charlie Kirk. Carr described Kimmel’s comments as “sickest conduct possible” in an interview and said that the FCC would potentially need to review broadcast licenses.
“We had some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them,” Kimmel had said on air Monday, September 15. The segment included additional comments about President Donald Trump.
Hours after Carr’s comments on Wednesday, ABC suspended the late-night television host following pressure from Sinclair and Nexstar, two major companies that own ABC affiliate stations. The situation had particularly high stakes for Nexstar, which is seeking the FCC’s approval for a $6.2 billion M&A deal.
Following Kimmel’s suspension, Sinclair said that it wouldn’t air Kimmel’s show on its stations until “appropriate steps” were taken. Sinclair’s demands included an apology from Kimmel to Kirk’s family and a donation to Kirk’s family and Turning Point USA, the organization Kirk founded.
Related stories
Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know
Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know
Meanwhile, politicians like former President Barack Obama, and key figures in Hollywood were critical of ABC’s decision to pull Kimmel off the air. Late-night television hosts from Stephen Colbert to Seth Meyers reacted to Kimmel’s suspension during their scheduled Thursday night shows. A protest outside Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, took place on Thursday, too.
“This is a big moment in our democracy, and we must all stand up for the principles of free expression,” Meyers said on air. “There’s a reason free speech is in the very first amendment. It stands above all others.”
In addition to ABC, other companies like Microsoft and The Washington Post have taken action against employees for publicly sharing commentary following the death of Kirk.
