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)(AP/Randy Holmes)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group brought Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show back to their local TV stations on Friday night, ending a dayslong TV blackout for dozens of cities across the U.S.
The companies suspended the program on Sept. 17 over remarks the comedian made in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s killing. Disney-owned ABC suspended Kimmel the same day, following threats of potential repercussions from the Trump-appointed head of the Federal Communications Commission.
The companies’ dual moves Friday mean “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will return to local TV on Nexstar’s 28 ABC affiliates, from Topeka, Kansas, to New Orleans, along with Sinclair’s 38 local markets, from Seattle to Washington D.C.
Kimmel’s suspension lasted less than a week, while the affiliate blackout stood for just over a week.
When the boycott began, Sinclair, which is known for its conservative political content, called on Kimmel to apologize to Kirk’s family and asked him to “make a meaningful