Jimmy Kimmel Disney/John Argueta Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment Jimmy Kimmel may be returning to ABC Tuesday night, but his show will remain dark in a large swath of the U.S., with Sinclair Broadcast Group saying that it will preempt the show. "Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming," the company said in a statement Monday. "Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show's potential return." The Walt Disney Co. said Monday that Kimmel would return to the air after his nearly week-long suspension. Related Stories TV Jimmy Kimmel to Return to ABC on Tuesday After Show's Controversial Suspension TV 'The View' Addresses Jimmy Kimmel Suspension -- and Why the Show Didn't Discuss It Sooner "Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country," the Bob Iger-run company said Monday. "It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday." However, most ABC stations in the U.S. are owned by independent station groups, and Sinclair is the largest owner of ABC stations, with 38 across the country, including WJLA, the ABC affiliate that serves the Washington D.C. metro area. It was pushback from Sinclair and Nexstar that sparked Disney's decision to pull the show in the first place, with both station groups telling Disney that they would preempt the show in response to his comments last Monday night about Charlie Kirk's killer. Sources say that other ABC affiliates had also expressed concerns. Nexstar, it should be noted, has a $6 billion-plus deal pending before the FCC to acquire Tegna, an agreement that would make it by far the largest owner of local TV stations in the country. Sinclair has also expressed a desire to pursue M&A, which would also require FCC approval THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up THR, Esq Hollywood PR Legal Brawl Escalates as MPRM Sues 42West Over Employee Defections media Oliver Darcy Staffing Up Status: Hires Brian Lowry and Natalie Korach in Expansion Push (Exclusive) Netflix Netflix Strikes Global Marketing Deal With Beverage Giant AB Inbev (Exclusive) TikTok Murdochs May Be Part of New TikTok Ownership Group, President Trump Says labor Christopher Nolan Elected President of Directors Guild of America THR, Esq Trump's $15 Billion Defamation Suit Against The New York Times Dismissed THR, Esq Hollywood PR Legal Brawl Escalates as MPRM Sues 42West Over Employee Defections media Oliver Darcy Staffing Up Status: Hires Brian Lowry and Natalie Korach in Expansion Push (Exclusive) Netflix Netflix Strikes Global Marketing Deal With Beverage Giant AB Inbev (Exclusive) TikTok Murdochs May Be Part of New TikTok Ownership Group, President Trump Says labor Christopher Nolan Elected President of Directors Guild of America THR, Esq Trump's $15 Billion Defamation Suit Against The New York Times Dismissed