Oakland (Special to ZennieReport.com) – That’s right. Jimmy Kimmel Can Laugh: Sinclair & Nexstar represent 25 percent Of US TV stations. And not all of them are ABC-related, so the real number drops to around 20 percent or less. That, combined with streaming options, means Sinclair & Nexstar will wind up losing millions in ad dollars in what has to be the dumbest move in American Business.    

In what has to be the dumbest move in American Business, Sinclair Media Group and Nexstar Broadcast Group have announced their intention to avoid showing the return of Jimmy Kimmel to late night television, just four business days after both organizations, encouraged by napoleonic Trump-appointed FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, announced they were pulling his show, causing ABC to also put it on hold after Kimmel’s harmless comments related to the person who killed Charlie Kirk.  

The normal observer would think this is a huge deal and that all of television would be stopped because of Sinclair & Nexstar.  But the truth is, it’s a big nothing-burger.  Sinclair & Nexstar only control one-quarter of of a huge market of TV stations.  Moreover, people who live in cities where there’s an Sinclair or Nexstar affiliate can and more than likely will go online to watch Jimmy Kimmel, where viewing options abound.   But let’s see what Sinclair & Nexstar have to say about all of this before we make fun of them.  

Nexstar ABC Affiliates To Preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Indefinitely Beginning Tonight

This was the press release from September 17th:

IRVING, TX (Sept. 17, 2025)—Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXST), today announced that the company’s owned and partner television stations affiliated with the ABC Television Network will preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” for the foreseeable future beginning with tonight’s show.  Nexstar strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.

“Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located,” said Andrew Alford, President of Nexstar’s broadcasting division.  “Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve is simply not in the public interest at the current time, and we have made the difficult decision to preempt his show in an effort to let cooler heads prevail as we move toward the resumption of respectful, constructive dialogue.”

Sinclair Says Kimmel Suspension is Not Enough, Calls on FCC and ABC to Take Additional Action

BALTIMORE – Sinclair, the nation’s largest ABC affiliate group, objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

As discussed with ABC earlier today, Sinclair decided to indefinitely preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” beginning tonight. Following these discussions, ABC has suspended production of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

“Mr. Kimmel’s remarks were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country,” said Vice Chairman Jason Smith. “We believe broadcasters have a responsibility to educate and elevate respectful, constructive dialogue in our communities. We appreciate FCC Chairman Carr’s remarks today and this incident highlights the critical need for the FCC to take immediate regulatory action to address control held over local broadcasters by the big national networks.”

Sinclair’s ABC stations will air a special in remembrance of Charlie Kirk this Friday, during Jimmy Kimmel Live’s timeslot. The special will also air across all Sinclair stations this weekend. In addition, Sinclair is offering the special to all ABC affiliates across the country.

Sinclair will not lift the suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on our stations until formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability.

Sinclair also calls upon Mr. Kimmel to issue a direct apology to the Kirk family. Furthermore, we ask Mr. Kimmel to make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA.

Regardless of ABC’s plans for the future of the program, Sinclair intends not to return “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” to our air until we are confident that appropriate steps have been taken to uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform.

Sinclair and Nextstar Control Only 25 Percent Of The TV Stations And Not All Are ABC Affiliates

It’s estimated that there are over 1,500 television stations in America as of this writing.  Of all of those Sinclair and Nextstar combined only control 25 percent of that total.  Moreover, not all of the TV stations Sinclair and Nextstar own are in partnership with ABC.  

That means we can estimate that only 20 percent, or one-fifth, of all of the TV stations in America are owned by Sinclair and Nextstar and will not carry Jimmy Kimmel Show tonight.  Then when one considers the streaming options available – specifically, Hulu, Fubo,Sling TV, Disney+, and YouTube TV, the only losers in the return of Jimmy Kimmel are Sinclair and Nextstar.  

What a boneheaded action by Sinclair and Nextstar and the FCC.  But it shows why traditional media is dying: an outsized view of its importance in a world more and more dominated by the Internet each year.  

According to Epsilon, a digitally-focused marketing company “Streaming platforms continue to dominate the entertainment landscape, capturing audiences with abundant content across genres and interests, but traditional cable and satellite television remains a strong contender.”  

Indeed, Sinclair and Nextstar’s actions against Kimmel come at a time when a milestone was set this year, 2025.  Again, according to Epsilon, Streaming viewership has officially surpassed traditional broadcast and cable TV viewership in the U.S., accounting for 44.8% of total TV consumption in May 2025, compared to the combined 44.2% for traditional media, according to Nielsen. This shift is driven by factors including the appeal of on-demand content, personalized viewing experiences, and the growing adoption of streaming platforms by all age groups, including older demographics.

The bottom line is that in a world where viewer habits are more flaky than ever, having a Jimmy Kimmel attraction is more important than ever.  Disney realized that when it turned around and saw $4 billion of its value vanish because of stock market reaction to what Disney CEO Bob Iger did.  Mr. Iger, who once was part of a team to bring the NFL back to LA, is no dummy.  He saw Jimmy’s ability to control ABC’s pocketbook and acted accordingly.  But there’s one fact that must be considered in all of this:  Jimmy really did not say anything wrong.  

Let’s remember that Jimmy Kimmel made fun of how President Trump seemed to give slight to the Charlie Kirk news and pivoted to his concern for the construction of his new addition to The White House.  Perhaps President Trump should admit he was embarrassed and made a mistake?  He can join Sinclair and Nexstar in reconsideration of their actions.  Meanwhile, welcome back Jimmy Kimmel, who gave anyone paying attention a lesson in the power of new media.

Stay tuned. Meanwhile….

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