Jimmy Kimmel is back on air after his cancellation due to comments he made about political activist Charlie Kirk and his death. However, shortly after, Kimmel was approved to return to ABC, the television network that had originally canceled his show.
Different news station groups associated with ABC, such as Nexstar, had initially stated they would not bring Kimmel’s show back on air. Despite that, after multiple discussions, they eventually decided to return the show to 32 news stations associated with ABC. Another ABC-affiliated TV station group, Sinclair, said they will bring back the show to all 38 ABC-affiliated stations around the country.
On September 17 2025, the day that Kimmel’s show was taken off air by the President of Nexstar Broadcasting who stated, “Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located. ”
Disney had no concessions with either TV stations before the standoffs. As a result, more than 1.7 million people canceled their Disney subscription following the cancellation of “ Jimmy Kimmel Live” because of Disney’s association with ABC.
Disney was additionally marked with major protests and boycotts. They faced major criticism from both Hollywood and the public, who felt that the removal of Jimmy Kimmel’s show had violated his First Amendment right.
Disney has responded to a political group that feels they went too far with the cancellation of his show, but Sinclair has not yet publicly responded to the situation.
“We have had discussions with executives at The Walt Disney Company and appreciate their constructive approach to addressing our concerns,” Nexstar said in a statement.
“As a local broadcaster, Nexstar remains committed to protecting the First Amendment while producing and airing local and national news that is fact-based and unbiased and, above all, broadcasting content that is in the best interest of the communities we serve.” Nexstar said in a statement.
“We stand apart from cable television, monolithic streaming services, and national networks in our commitment — and obligation — to be stewards of the public airwaves and to protect and reflect the specific sensibilities of our communities.” Nexstar also said in a statement.
Nexstar added to this, stating, “To be clear, our commitment to those principles has guided our decisions throughout this process, independent of any external influence from government agencies or individuals.”
Kimmel’s comments on Kirk’s death led the Federal Communications Commission chairman (FCC), Brendan Carr, to threaten ABC and its TV partners with “news distortion” unless Kimmel was taken off air.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” the FCC chairman stated.
Freshman Isabella Lapham stated on Kimmel’s cancellation, ”I feel like the cancellation of his show… made sense. [ABC] was being insensitive, but I feel many things like [what Kimmel said] have been done on air before, and networks haven’t really done anything to stop it, just like a slap on the wrist.”
Every network and station has made tough decisions while filming. For example, Nexstar, located in Texas, USA, has nearly 32 news stations, 23 of which are in affiliation with ABC. Nine more networks are part of the partner stations, which provide further operating agreements.
Jimmy Kimmel’s removal from the air marks a major turning point in a clash with the entertainment industry and maybe even free speech itself. The controversy around Kimmel, along with his cancellation and his eventual return, has heightened tensions, which have continued to grow exponentially.
