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Sinclair Broadcast Group to Preempt jimmy Kimmel Live! Return

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.