Sinclair Cancels Fox News Broadcasts on ABC Stations
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Sinclair Broadcast Group to Preempt jimmy Kimmel Live! Return
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As Jimmy Kimmel live! returns to ABC on Tuesday night, millions of viewers across the country will find their access limited. Broadcasting giant Sinclair announced it will not air Kimmel’s show despite its return to the airwaves this week.
“Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming,” Sinclair said in a statement to Rolling Stone on Monday. “Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return.”
A representative for Kimmel did not instantly respond to a request for comment.
The Background: Controversy and Suspension
Last week, ABC “indefinitely” suspended Kimmel after comments he made on jimmy Kimmel Live! about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and following a threat from President Trump’s FCC chair. Days after Kirk’s murder, kimmel remarked on the political affiliation of the killer. “We hit 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,” the host said on the show,”and doing everything they can to score political points from it”.
The decision to pull Kimmel was met with immediate backlash.
Sinclair’s History and Political Leanings
Sinclair broadcast group is the largest television station owner in the United States, with a history of conservative-leaning news coverage. The company has faced criticism for requiring its local stations to air segments with a standardized conservative viewpoint, frequently enough referred to as “must-run” segments. This has led to accusations of pushing a particular political agenda thru its news programming.
| Station Ownership | Number of Stations |
|---|---|
| Sinclair broadcast Group | 185+ (including affiliates) |
| Nexstar Media Group | 199+ |