Sinclair Broadcast Group announced it will not air "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on its ABC affiliate stations, despite the show's return to the network. The late-night talk show is set to resume on Tuesday after a brief suspension by Disney, which owns ABC. Sinclair, which operates the largest number of ABC affiliates in the country, stated it will replace Kimmel's show with news programming.

In a post on social media, Sinclair confirmed, "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 decision comes amid ongoing negotiations between Sinclair and ABC regarding Kimmel's reinstatement.

Kimmel's show was suspended last Wednesday following his controversial comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Sources indicate that Kimmel negotiated his return with Disney executives after facing backlash from various groups. Kimmel is expected to address his remarks during his first monologue back, but he will not apologize for suggesting that Kirk's alleged killer was part of the "MAGA gang."

Disney described Kimmel's comments as "ill-timed and thus insensitive" and stated that the suspension was intended to avoid inflaming an already tense situation in the country. Sinclair had previously called for Kimmel to issue a direct apology to Kirk's family and to make a donation to Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit co-founded by Kirk.

Sinclair's refusal to air Kimmel's show could impact his ratings significantly. The company has a conservative reputation and has faced criticism in the past for its editorial decisions. It had initially planned to air a tribute to Kirk in place of Kimmel's show but opted to stream it on YouTube instead after receiving threats related to Kimmel's suspension.

It remains uncertain whether Nexstar, which operates 32 ABC affiliates, will follow Sinclair's lead in preempting Kimmel's show. Together, Sinclair and Nexstar control about a quarter of ABC's reach to households. As the situation develops, both Sinclair and Nexstar are under pressure to respond to the ongoing controversy surrounding Kimmel's comments and the network's programming decisions.