Disney's ABC on Thursday said it has taken Jimmy Kimmel's late-night talk show off air for indefinite period after backlash over the host's comments about the motives behind the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
Nexstar in a statement said that its "owned and partner television stations affiliated with the ABC Television Network will pre-empt airings of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' for the foreseeable future.
Nexstar strongly objects to comments made by Kimmel
The company strongly objected to comments made by Kimmel on the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other ABC programmes.
The development comes after Kimmel addressed the killing and criticised attempts by Trump supporters to politicise the case.
"We had some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and with everything they can to score political points from it," Kimmel said.
"MAGA" is shorthand for Trump's "Make America Great Again" movement.
Charlie Kirk shot dead at Utah university campus
Kirk, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, was shot dead last week during a speaking event at a Utah university campus. Police said 22-year-old Tyler Robinson fired a rifle from a rooftop, hitting Kirk in the neck with a single bullet. Robinson was arrested shortly after the incident and has been formally charged with murder.
According to Variety, FCC chairman Brendan Carr vowed to take action against ABC over Jimmy Kimmel's comments. After the company's decision to take the show off, Carr said he wanted "to thank Nexstar for doing the right thing" in a statement on social media.
"Local broadcasters have an obligation to serve the public interest. While this may be an unprecedented decision, it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community," he said.
Meanwhile, the White House has announced it will pursue what it described as a left-wing "domestic terror movement" in response to Kirk's death. The move has raised concerns among critics that the initiative could be used to curb political dissent, France 24 reported.
Trump says great news for America
In the meantime, US President Donald Trump appreciated the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show as "great news for America", as he celebrated the departure of a comedian who is bitingly critical of the US president.
"Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED," Trump wrote on his social media site Truth Social.
"Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that's possible," he added.
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Charlie Kirk's killer has been caught, says Trump; shooter is a 22-year-old from Utah
