UPDATE: Sinclair is NOT going to broadcast Jimmy Kimmel, even though ABC is resuming production.
Sinclair has demanded that Kimmel personally donate to Turning Point USA, a right-wing political organization.
David Smith, executive chairman of Sinclair, donated 250K to Turning Point USA last year.
The preemption means that 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' will remain unavailable for some of the U.S. despite its return after a nearly week-long susp
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
