Kimmel’s Show Returns Amid Parent Company Acquisition Talks

Sacramento, California — The “Jimmy Kimmel Show” experienced a brief suspension that ended Monday, coinciding with ongoing acquisition discussions involving its parent company. Nexstar Media Group recently announced plans to acquire Tegna, which includes Sacramento’s ABC affiliate, KXTV, in a $6.2 billion deal.

This acquisition is pending antitrust review from both the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission. Nexstar and Tegna intend to file the necessary application with the FCC by the end of September.

Last week, Nexstar joined Sinclair in announcing that it would preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” for the near future, prompting Disney to suspend the show on Wednesday. However, on Monday afternoon, Disney confirmed that Kimmel’s show would return the following day.

Stacey Woelfel, a professor emeritus at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, explained that affiliates typically have some autonomy over programming decisions. The recent actions by affiliates suggest they found it more effective to preempt Kimmel’s show rather than negotiate with the network.

“Affiliates agree to air certain amounts of a network’s programs but are allowed a defined number of preemptions,” she noted, adding that these preemptions can be used for local events, like covering a parade for a championship-winning team.

“Was it within their limit? Might have been,” Woelfel said regarding the affiliates’ decision. “But they couldn’t have done it forever.”

The balance of power between local stations and networks is shifting, fueled by the rise of streaming services. Networks like CBS and NBC have platforms, Paramount Plus and Peacock, respectively, allowing them to directly reach audiences.

Most local affiliates operate independently, often owned by companies like Nexstar and Sinclair rather than the networks themselves. Woelfel compared this to local franchises, stating, “An ABC affiliate is separate and different than ABC, and those aren’t the same people making those decisions.”