ABC and Disney announced that Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show will be back on the network after a short suspension, but corporate edict hasn’t stopped several powerful local station groups from standing up for decency and refusing to run the program. The network’s decision to reinstate Kimmel — even as many Americans were still grieving and demanding accountability — sparked swift pushback from station owners who said they would not carry the episode.
This mess began when ABC suspended Kimmel on September 17 after his monologue about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk drew outrage for its timing and tone. Conservatives weren’t the only ones offended; many viewers saw the comments as gratuitous and cruel at a moment of national sorrow, and local broadcasters reacted accordingly rather than letting a national network paper over the breach.
Good on Sinclair and Nexstar for refusing to be mere transmission pipes for Hollywood’s political preaching. Those companies together control roughly a quarter of ABC affiliates and reach millions of households, and their decision to pre-empt the show makes clear that local stations still answer first to their communities, not to woke corporate bosses in Burbank.
The whole controversy also exposed the frightening dance between regulators and media moguls, with FCC Chair Brendan Carr publicly warning stations about carrying the program and drawing howls from all sides. Conservatives rightly smell a dangerous precedent when federal officials appear to lean on speech and licensing, and even lawmakers warned about the chilling effect such interventions could produce.
Disney’s reversal to bring Kimmel back smelled more like damage control than a principled defense of free speech; reports noted the company faced consumer backlash and subscription pain that likely pushed the decision. When corporations pick profits over principle, Americans should remember who rewarded them with their wallets — and the station owners who stood firm deserve applause for putting standards above shareholder optics.
This episode should remind every patriotic, hardworking American that accountability still matters and that there are real consequences for public figures who mock death for political gain. Support your local stations that chose to put community standards ahead of network spin, and don’t let coastal elites pretend that their late-night podium gives them license to trample decency. The broadcasters who refused to air Kimmel demonstrated that local media can still be a check on national outrage-for-profit, and conservatives should reward that courage.
