BREAKING: Nexstar announces it will continue preempting ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ across its ABC stations, despite Disney ending the suspension of the late-night host. The move comes after Sinclair Broadcast Group also decided to keep the show off the air at its ABC affiliates.

Nexstar to preempt ABC’s ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ despite Disney ending suspension

Nexstar Media Group, Inc., announced on Tuesday that it will continue preempting “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” despite Disney allowing the show to return to ABC.

We made a decision last week to preempt ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ following what ABC referred to as Mr. Kimmel’s ‘ill-timed and insensitive’ comments at a critical time in our national discourse. We stand by that decision pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve,” the company said in a statement.

“In the meantime, we note that ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ will be available nationwide on multiple Disney-owned streaming products, while our stations will focus on continuing to produce local news and other programming relevant to their respective markets,”

Sinclair Broadcast Group, which operates 30 ABC affiliates, also announced Monday it would continue to preempt the show.

“Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming. Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return,” the company’s statement read.

Kimmel’s late-night show was initially pulled off the air last Wednesday after Kimmel’s remarks about the alleged assassin of Charlie Kirk sparked outrage and a veiled threat from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Disney decided to suspend the show after Nexstar and Sinclair pulled airings of Kimmel from their stations, and Kimmel reportedly had told executives he would not apologize for his comments.

The situation caused outrage among liberals, who said Kimmel was being punished for exercising freedom of speech. Conservatives countered that Kimmel’s comments suggesting Kirk’s suspected killer was a MAGA member were outrageous and false.

Disney announced Kimmel’s return on Monday. He is expected to address the controversy on the show Tuesday night.

The saga began last Monday when Kimmel accused conservatives of reaching “new lows” in trying to pin a left-wing ideology on 22-year-old suspected Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson.

“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 and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said.

Kirk was assassinated during a college event at Utah Valley University Sept. 10. The 31-year-old father of two was answering a question about transgender mass shooters when Robinson allegedly shot him in the neck, killing him. Robinson was romantically linked to a transgender partner, and text messages released by the FBI purport to show him confessing to the murder.

On Wednesday, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr called Kimmel’s comments “some of the sickest conduct” and suggested there were potential “avenues” the FCC could pursue.