Jimmy Kimmel's Gone - - Who's Next?

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So don't be friends with co-workers on FB?

Sinclair and Nexstar, the broadcast station owners that took “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air amid criticism of the host’s comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk, said that the show will return Friday night on their ABC affiliates.

“Our objective throughout this process has been to ensure that programming remains accurate and engaging for the widest possible audience,” Sinclair said in a statement on Friday afternoon.

“We take seriously our responsibility as local broadcasters to provide programming that serves the interests of our communities, while also honoring our obligations to air national network programming,” said the company, which owns and operates 30 ABC affiliate stations in 27 markets.

Roughly three hours later, Nexstar said it was also bringing back Kimmel's program on its dozens of ABC affiliates.

Sinclair and Nexstar, which together own 70 ABC affiliates across the U.S., announced last week they would pre-empt airings of Kimmel’s talk show after the comedian criticized Republicans for their response to Kirk’s killing. Federal Communications Chairman Brendan Carr, who regulates the broadcast television industry, accused Kimmel of “the sickest conduct possible.”

Sinclair insisted Friday that its “decision to preempt this program was independent of any government interaction or influence.”

“Free speech provides broadcasters with the right to exercise judgment as to the content on their local stations,” the company said. “While we understand that not everyone will agree with our decisions about programming, it is simply inconsistent to champion free speech while demanding that broadcasters air specific content.”

Sinclair said it pitched various proposals to Disney during “ongoing and constructive discussions,” including the hiring of a “network-wide independent ombudsman,” though the Magic Kingdom has “not yet adopted these measures.”

Disney has not made editorial or content concessions to Sinclair or Nexstar, according to a source familiar with the discussions.

Sinclair made other public demands last week. The company called on Kimmel to “issue a direct apology to the Kirk family” and “make a meaningful personal donation” to Kirk’s family and Turning Point USA, the conservative activist organization he founded.