ABC’s late-night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, is all set to make a comeback on Tuesday after a suspension that sparked a national conversation on freedom of speech. Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan has been revealed as a surprise guest for the show.
Even though two groups of ABC affiliates criticized the talk show host last week, they have decided not to air Kimmel’s return. Nexstar Media Group, operating 32 ABC affiliate stations in the U.S., stated that they would continue to preempt the show until all parties commit to promoting respectful and constructive dialogue in their markets. Similarly, Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest ABC affiliate operator in the country, also announced that they will not broadcast Kimmel’s show.
Together, these two corporations oversee about a quarter of ABC affiliates in the U.S. On the other hand, Citytv, owned by Rogers Communications and holding the Canadian airing rights for Kimmel’s show, confirmed that they will resume broadcasting the show on Tuesday night.
Originally, actor Glen Powell was the only guest scheduled for Kimmel’s Tuesday broadcast. However, Sarah McLachlan shared on Instagram that she would also be appearing on the show. McLachlan had previously canceled a performance at the U.S. premiere of her documentary Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery, released on Disney+ on Sept. 21, in solidarity with free speech, which is supported by Disney, ABC’s parent company.
McLachlan expressed concerns about various issues such as the erosion of women’s rights, trans and queer rights, and restrictions on free speech. Both the documentary and the musician’s publicists confirmed that she would also be interviewed on Kimmel’s show to promote her new album, Better Broken</em, as she was initially scheduled to appear on the show before the suspension.
Kimmel broke his social media silence by posting a tribute to the late Norman Lear on Instagram. Lear, known for his stance against FCC regulations, was critical of the agency's restrictions on television content. Kimmel jokingly claimed to be on former President Trump's "enemies list" during his second term.
ABC suspended Kimmel indefinitely after controversial statements made during a monologue, prompting FCC Chair Brendan Carr to raise concerns about misleading the public and hint at potential consequences for Kimmel. Following this, Nexstar and Sinclair decided to replace Kimmel's show with other programming, and ABC eventually preempted the show entirely. U.S. President Trump applauded these actions on Truth Social.
The involvement of FCC Chair Brendan Carr raised concerns about government interference, with some likening it to censorship. U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren highlighted potential federal influence, drawing parallels between ABC pre-empting Kimmel's show and Paramount canceling Stephen Colbert after a legal dispute involving Trump.
Warren initiated an investigation into Paramount's alleged bribery with the Trump administration for a merger deal, a move that could potentially impact Nexstar's merger plans with Tegna, requiring FCC approval. Senate Democrats accused Carr of weaponizing the FCC to censor broadcasters based on political commentary, while Carr attributed Kimmel's situation to poor ratings rather than FCC involvement.