MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" is back on ABC tonight. The comedian has been off the air for nearly a week after what ABC parent Disney called, quote, "ill-timed and thus insensitive" comments about the suspect in Charlie Kirk's killing. But roughly a quarter of the country's ABC broadcast affiliates still won't be showing his return to late night. For more on this, I am joined by NPR culture correspondent Chloe Veltman. Hey there, Chloe.
CHLOE VELTMAN, BYLINE: Hey there, Mary Louise.
KELLY: So unpick this for us. Kimmel is back because Disney is bringing him back, but multiple stations will still be preempting the show. Why? What are they holding out for?
VELTMAN: Well, broadcaster Nexstar, which operates 32 ABC stations around the country, said in a statement today that it's waiting on assurance that, quote, "all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve." Now, Nexstar was the first to pull Kimmel's show last week after the chair of the FCC took issue with how Kimmel spoke about the suspect in Charlie Kirk's murder. But it's important to note that Nexstar is in the middle of a major merger. It's waiting on FCC approval to acquire Tegna, which also owns TV stations around the country.
And also, there's this other broadcasting group, Sinclair, which also says it's still going to preempt the show. It's got 30 stations in 30 market - it's got stations in 30 markets, and the company said yesterday it's still in discussions with ABC about the show's potential return. Last week, Sinclair had called on Kimmel to apologize to Charlie Kirk's family and make a personal donation to his organization, Turning Point USA.
KELLY: To apologize and make a donation - did Jimmy Kimmel do those things?
VELTMAN: Well, if he has, they certainly haven't been made public.
KELLY: So what is the calculation that Disney is making here in bringing him back tonight?
VELTMAN: The company's balancing a few things here. Last week, after they suspended Kimmel under pressure from the Trump administration, Disney started getting major blowback from its stars. Yesterday, hundreds of big-name artists, including Olivia Rodrigo, Tom Hanks and Pedro Pascal, signed on to an open letter published by the ACLU speaking out against Kimmel's suspension. And it's not just artists telling Disney what they think, either. Members of the public have been canceling their Disney+ streaming service subscriptions and their vacations at Disney resorts. I spoke with Los Angeles entertainment attorney Jonathan Handel, and he says this is just the beginning of a widespread boycott emerging in the fight for free speech.
JONATHAN HANDEL: And Disney is very sensitive to consumer perception and to consumer boycotts.
VELTMAN: Which might explain their thinking here about putting Jimmy Kimmel back on the air.
KELLY: I'm trying to think through, though, Chloe, where this might go. What happens if local stations continue to not show his show?
VELTMAN: Jonathan Handel says ABC actually has some leverage with local stations. The network can threaten to prevent them from airing really popular content, like football and basketball.
HANDEL: All those sports rights that people are desperate to see when their team is playing, when their person is fighting, whatever it is, they want that, and they expect it on their local stations, and they're paying good money to access those local stations.
VELTMAN: And Handel adds that local stations are quite dependent on national programming to retain audiences. Late-night TV shows are part of that equation.
KELLY: Any sense of what to expect on tonight's show?
VELTMAN: Well, word is Kimmel's first guest will be actor Glen Powell and Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan. And McLachlan's appearance is particularly notable because she spoke out in solidarity with Kimmel at a Disney event on Sunday.
KELLY: And real quick, where can people watch the show?
VELTMAN: It'll still be available in many markets via traditional TV, and it can also be streamed on places like DIRECTV and Hulu with live TV, depending on the market. But no matter where you are, you can watch clips on YouTube or abc.com. The show posts them there after it airs.
KELLY: Thank you, Chloe.
VELTMAN: My pleasure, Mary Louise.
KELLY: That's NPR's Chloe Veltman. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
