Kimmel Faces Backlash for Non-Apology, as Nexstar Extends Blockade and Turning Point Says ‘Not Enough’

Jimmy Kimmel’s defiant monologue on Tuesday night may have the dominant media extolling his eloquence for “meeting the moment,” but the comic has done little to quell outrage over his comments about a “MAGA gang” and the man accused of murdering Charlie Kirk. Nexstar Media says it will keep preempting his show, staying in step with Sinclair Broadcasting. Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA, also denounced Mr. Kimmel. In a statement on Wednesday, Nexstar said it is “continuing to evaluate the status of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on our ABC-affiliated local television stations.”“The show will be preempted while we do so. We are engaged in productive discussions with executives at The Walt Disney Company, with a focus on ensuring the program reflects and respects the diverse interests of the communities we serve,” Nexstar said.A spokesman for Turning Point, Andrew Kolvet, posted on X, “Not good enough. Jimmy, it’s simple. Here’s what you need to say: ‘I’m sorry for saying the shooter was MAGA. He was not. He was of the left. I apologize to the Kirk family for lying. Please accept my sincere apology. I will do better. I was wrong.’”The Sinclair Broadcast Group has also said it will preempt Mr. Kimmel’s show and demanded that the comic apologize to the Kirk family and donate from his own pockets to the Kirks and to Turning Point before it airs his program again. Sinclair, which, like Nexstar, has conservative owners, had not commented on whether it would reverse course as of early Wednesday afternoon.During his monologue on his first show after a nearly week-long suspension, Mr. Kimmel did not apologize — dodging clear opportunities in his oration to do so. He simply conceded he likely will not change anyone’s negative view of him with his comments. The closest he came to an apology was stating that he understood why people were upset and suggesting that his comment was “unclear” or “ill-timed.” The comic stated that it was not his “intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what was obviously a deeply disturbed individual.” The remainder of his monologue was spent talking about himself and the support he’d received from various important Hollywood figures, as well as from Senator Ted Cruz, and warning about the future of free speech under the Trump administration. He also skewered President Trump and the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr. Critics of Mr. Kimmel were frustrated with his refusal to offer an apology for stating that a “MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them,” despite officials stating that the suspect held left-wing views.A conservative journalist, Megyn Kelly, wrote on X, “Remember when I was cancelled & held back tears on the air & Kimmel stood up for me saying ‘All she did was ask a Q about blackface Halloween costumes, whereas I, Jimmy, have actually worn blackface many times & still have a show! This is wrong!’ Me neither. F him & his self pity.”A conservative commentator on CNN, Scott Jennings, shared Mr. Kimmel’s comments and wrote on X, “You used the phrase ‘MAGA gang’ & then lied about what happened. You definitely intended to make light of it and mislead the American people. Pathetic.”Another user wrote on X, “Wonder what the heartfelt conversation @ABC had with this agitator was about? Now ABC will feel it in the pocketbook. As more advertisers leave and more viewers switch the channel it will become more apparent that keeping a poorly rated, talentless hack was not worth it. Goodbye ABC you’re about to get the bud light treatment!”After Mr. Kimmel’s return, it was not clear whether the station groups would decide to air his show again. By Wednesday morning, neither Sinclair nor Nexstar said whether they would reverse course and air “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” The station group embargo means Mr. Kimmel’s show cannot be seen until the following day, on Hulu, in about a quarter of the country, including the greater Washington, D.C., area.Left-wing journalists and powerful Hollywood celebrities gave ABC and its corporate parent, the Walt Disney Company, what they likely wanted to hear. Actor Ben Stiller posted on X that Mr. Kimmel’s monologue was “brilliant.”Some liberal media reporters have suggested that Sinclair and Nexstar may not be able to preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” for too long. A former reporter for the Washington Post, Paul Farhi, posted on X, “A network affiliate like Sinclair can pre-empt a network show a limited number of times (depends on the contract), but then is in breach of its affiliate agreement and faces penalties or cancellation. So Sinclair is likely on a short leash here.”Mr. Farhi noted that Sinclair is replacing the late-night show with news programming and said that “some contracts” allow for multiple preemptions for news, but usually for breaking news events. There has been speculation that Disney might sue Sinclair and Nexstar for breach of contract if they do not air Mr. Kimmel’s show. Another potential response floated is that Disney could rescind its affiliation deal with Sinclair and Nexstar, which would lead to those stations losing out on sporting events such as Monday night football games — a move that would likely lead to an uproar among viewers in the markets with such blackouts.However, those dramatic responses are seen as unlikely as ABC is much more reliant on station groups — even as linear television has been in decline — than the local stations are on ABC. Indeed, the contretemps surrounding Mr. Kimmel is a test of wills between conservatives outside New York and Los Angeles (the Trump-supporting Sook and Smith families who control Nexstar and Sinclair) and Hollywood’s most powerful figures, who rallied behind Mr. Kimmel and had started refusing to work with Disney. A legal reporter at Puck, Eriq Gardner, also noted that the FCC is “enforcing a rule that allows local stations to preempt programming that doesn’t ‘serve the community,’” which may give the stations the ability to refuse to air Mr. Kimmel’s show for longer than their contracts typically allow for. ABC did not respond to the Sun’s request for comment.

Kimmel Faces Backlash for Non-Apology, as Nexstar Extends Blockade and Turning Point Says ‘Not Enough’

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