Jimmy Kimmel to return to late-night after ABC suspension

Jimmy Kimmel is back on late-night TV but may not be seen by everyone in the country. 

What they're saying:

"Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday," the Walt Disney Company, parent of the ABC network, said in a statement to FOX Television Stations. 

However, Sinclair Inc., which owns several ABC affiliates, said it will not be airing the show. 

"Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming," the company said in a tweet. "Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return."

Jimmy Kimmel pulled off-air 

The backstory:

Last week, ABC suspended Kimmel’s late-night show indefinitely after comments that he made about Charlie Kirk’s killing led a group of ABC-affiliated stations to say it would not air the show and provoked some ominous comments from a top federal regulator.

RELATED: Jimmy Kimmel Live! pulled by ABC stations over host's Charlie Kirk comments

The veteran late-night comic made several remarks about the reaction to the conservative activist’s assassination last week on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," including that "many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk."

During his Monday evening monologue, Kimmel suggested Kirk’s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, might have been a pro-Trump Republican. "The MAGA Gang (is) desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it," Kimmel said. "In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving."

RELATED: FCC Chair Brendan Carr defends ABC affiliates pulling Jimmy Kimmel show

ABC, which has aired Kimmel’s late-night show since 2003, moved swiftly after Nexstar Communications Group said it would pull the show starting Wednesday. Kimmel’s comments about Kirk’s death "are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse," said Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division. Nexstar operates 23 ABC affiliates.

Trump administration responds to suspension 

The other side:

President Donald Trump celebrated ABC’s move on the social media site Truth Social, writing: "Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done."

RELATED: Presidents Trump, Obama react to ABC's Jimmy Kimmel decision

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr called Kimmel’s comments "truly sick" and said his agency has a strong case for holding Kimmel, ABC and network parent Walt Disney Co. accountable for spreading misinformation. He said the comic appeared to be making an intentional effort to mislead the public that Kirk’s assassin was a right-wing Trump supporter.

"This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney," Carr said on the Benny Johnson podcast. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead."

Big picture view:

Both Disney and Nexstar have FCC business ahead of them. Disney is seeking regulatory approval for ESPN’s acquisition of the NFL Network and Nexstar needs the Trump administration's go-ahead to complete its $6.2 billion purchase of broadcast rival Tegna.

RELATED: ABC's 'The View' could face investigation probe, FCC chairman suggests

For both companies, reinstating Kimmel after a suspension would risk the ire of Trump, who has already claimed that the show has been canceled.