Jimmy Kimmel came back to ABC with the return of his late-night show last evening after being suspended for six days following his controversial remarks over the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The comeback was, however, received with a sharp drop in viewership as large ABC affiliate owners Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcasting Group continued their partial boycott by not airing the show on many local stations throughout the United States.
Kimmel was suspended after he attacked "the MAGA gang" for politicizing Kirk's murder, prompting Disney to suspend his show on the grounds of "ill-timed and insensitive" comments. Kimmel attempted to calm the flames of outrage with his apology, but Sinclair and Nexstar stood firm on their boycott, requiring an apology to Kirk's family and a contribution to the right-wing organisation Turning Point USA before they would contemplate airing the show.
The previous evening's episode, Kimmel's first since the pause, included his trademark mixture of wit and biting social commentary, confronting the controversy head-on over his suspension. However, ratings fell by about 30%, a sharp decline due in large part to the blackouts by key ABC affiliates owned by Sinclair and Nexstar.
US President Donald Trump reacted onto the controversy and Kimmel's diminished return to take harsh digs at the comedian and ABC. In a statement issued soon after the broadcast, Trump called Kimmel's show "finished" and stated that the owners' boycott was "a fair and necessary reaction to left-wing attacks on conservatives." Trump's response further fuelled the raging partisan controversy over media bias and free speech, making the matter a highly politicised battleground.
The conflict serves to illustrate mounting tensions between media conglomerates, station owners, and political forces that seek to shape broadcast content. Kimmel's low ratings and Trump's public outcry demonstrate the extreme divisions that are tearing the US entertainment and news environment apart.
Industry commentators indicate that the boycott could continue to affect the show's rating and ad revenue. The issue also questions the future of politically charged programming on prime-time TV and the role of local affiliates in programming.
Jimmy Kimmel's comeback last night, artistically daring as it was, had a tough row to hoe, with the precipitous decline in viewers that accompanied the partial boycott. Donald Trump's response amplified the rage, casting the dispute as a wide-ranging cultural and political divide.
