Local TV stations say they will not air Jimmy Kimmel Live! despite Disney-owned ABC bringing back the comedian's late-night show - a week after he was suspended for comments about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Nexstar and Sinclair, which together run dozens of stations affiliated to ABC, said they would continue to replace the show with regular programming on Tuesday.
Mr. Kimmel's remarks were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country, Sinclair's vice-chairman Jason Smith said.
The liberal comedian's show was yanked off air last week after his monologue about the shooting of Kirk caused uproar.
Nexstar, one of the largest owners of TV stations in the US, stated: We made a decision last week to preempt 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' following what ABC referred to as Mr. Kimmel's 'ill-timed and insensitive' comments at a critical time in our national discourse.
We stand by that decision pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve.
Earlier on Monday, Sinclair announced it would be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming.
Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show's potential return, it added.
Combined, Nexstar and Sinclair control over 20% of ABC's affiliated television stations, according to reports.
Kimmel's comments during his monologue on September 15 suggested that Trump and his allies were seeking to characterize Kirk's murderer as anything other than part of their group, and he drew a comparison between Trump's reaction to the incident and how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.
America's broadcast regulator accused Kimmel of misleading the audience, asserting that the accused was deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology.
Disney announced the decision to return the show, citing previous suspension reasons reflecting insensitivity to current events.
The comic's suspension led to extensive criticism, labeled as censorship, alongside calls from hundreds of celebrities for Kimmel's reinstatement, framing it as a threat to freedom of speech, especially in the current political climate.
Recently, a man was arrested for a gun incident involving an ABC news affiliate, with investigators noting troubling links to the current political tensions.
