Jimmy Kimmel will not be returning to TV screens in two of the nation’s most progressive cities after an ABC affiliate refused to reinstate his show.

Sinclair, which operates ABC stations in Seattle and Portland, has decided not to broadcast Kimmel’s late-night show on Tuesday. This decision comes after ABC permitted the show to return following a suspension due to the host’s remarks about the Charlie Kirk assassination.

‘Starting Tuesday night, Sinclair will preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! on our ABC affiliate stations, replacing it with news programming,’ the company stated. ‘We are in ongoing discussions with ABC as we assess the show’s possible reinstatement.’

Sinclair owns 38 ABC affiliates across 18 states, including in Washington DC, Salt Lake City, El Paso, Austin, Nashville, Las Vegas and Pittsburgh. 

Previously, Sinclair mentioned they would not end the suspension of Kimmel’s show on their stations ‘until official discussions occur with ABC concerning the network’s dedication to professionalism and accountability.’

The broadcaster also called on Kimmel to issue a ‘direct apology to the Kirk family’ and to make a ‘meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA’. TPUSA is a conservative college campus group founded by Kirk, while Kimmel is known for having liberal views. 

Many on social media have called for a boycott of Sinclair over their decision to keep Kimmel off the air.

Jimmy Kimmel’s comeback to late night was dealt a massive blow as the show won’t be aired in nearly 40 major markets after Disney announced the liberal talk host will return Tuesday

Kirk, who was 31 when he was killed, is survived by his wife Erika, with whom he had a three-year-old daughter and a son, 16 months, seen here

Many on social media have called for a boycott of Sinclair over their decision to keep Kimmel off the air in cities like Seattle and Portland 

CNN media journalist Brian Stelter said ‘Sinclair refusing to air Kimmel’s show on its ABC-affiliated stations is another example of the slow unspooling of broadcast TV.’

One angry Seattle local wrote on social media: ‘Just learned that Seattle ABC affiliate KOMO will NOT be returning Jimmy Kimmel to their lineup. Seattle, I’ve never been so ashamed of my city.’

Another wrote: ‘What a coincidence as I am boycotting all of KOMO’s advertisers.’

ABC’s parent company Disney made the announcement on Kimmel over the weekend and said in a statement: ‘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.’

Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, the organization founded by Kirk, posted on X about Kimmel’s reinstatement: ‘Disney and ABC caving and allowing Kimmel back on the air is not surprising, but it’s their mistake to make. Nexstar and Sinclair do not have to make the same choice.’

There was no immediate comment from Nexstar on its plans for Kimmel’s return. 

ABC suspended Kimmel indefinitely on Wednesday after comments he made in a monologue about Kirk, who was killed September 10. 

Kimmel said ‘many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk’ and that ‘the MAGA gang’ was ‘desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.’

Sinclair Inc., whose local stations pay to run ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, is standing by its policy from last week that it would keep the show off the air indefinitely, though the two sides were in talks

President Donald Trump, one of Kimmel’s frequent targets, posted on social media that Kimmel’s suspension was ‘great news for America.’ He also called for other late night hosts to be fired. He has yet to comment on Kimmel’s reinstatement.

Kimmel’s suspension arrived in a time when Trump and his administration have pursued threats, lawsuits and federal government pressure to try to exert more control over the media industry. Trump has reached settlements with ABC and CBS over their coverage.

Trump has also filed defamation lawsuits against The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Republicans in Congress stripped federal funding from NPR and PBS.

Brendan Carr, the head of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), issued a warning prior to Kimmel’s suspension that criticized Kimmel’s remarks about the Kirk assassination.

‘We can do this the easy way or the hard way,’ Carr said. ‘These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.’

Carr denied on Monday that he threatened to revoke ABC’s local station licenses because of Kimmel’s remarks.

‘Jimmy Kimmel is in the situation he’s in because of his ratings. Not because of anything that’s happened at the federal government level,’ Carr said at the Concordia Annual Summit.

Reaction was largely divided along partisan lines as the news made it out of Kimmel’s comeback Tuesday.

In MAGA circles, the move was largely derided, with Megyn Kelly writing: ‘Must be nice to be a leftist. ‘Cancellation’ lasts 5 nights and you’re right back under klieg lights. On the right you’re underground.’

The move will be a further headache to Disney CEO Bob Iger (pictured) after he dealt with liberal backlash to the move over the weekend

Conservative commentator Matt Walsh also slammed what he called liberal hypocrisy: ‘Kimmel’s show was put on pause for like 3 days and yet leftists will look us dead in the eyes and tell us that this was a greater attack on free speech than shooting and killing Charlie Kirk.’

Scott Jennings of CNN homed in on how the FCC wasn’t mentioned in Disney’s explanation for initially suspending Kimmel.

‘So basically his employer suspended him for being an insensitive prick, and we don’t live in an authoritarian regime? Got it,’ he said.

Liberals were in a celebratory mood, with Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett shouting it was a ‘WIN’ to get the host back while also taking a swipe at the President, who she suggested was senile and ‘ill-equipped’.

California Governor Gavin Newsom used the news to take a shot at FCC head Brendan Carr.

‘Thank you to everyone but @BrendanCarrFCC. This is a win for free speech everywhere.’