ROANOKE, Va. (WFIR) — Local ABC affiliate WSET-13 will not air Tuesday’s return of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, following the comedian’s brief suspension from the network.
ABC announced Monday that Kimmel would resume hosting duties after production was paused last week in response to a controversial monologue regarding the assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk.
The network said Kimmel’s reinstatement came after “thoughtful conversations with the comedian.” But Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns WSET and other ABC affiliates nationwide, will pre-empt the late-night program and instead air local or national news coverage in its place.
Discussions between Sinclair and ABC are ongoing to determine the show’s future on Sinclair-owned stations.
The move means viewers in Central Virginia and the Lynchburg-Roanoke market will not see Kimmel’s return on WSET-13, even as the show resumes elsewhere on the ABC network.
No timeline has been announced for when — or if — the program will return to the WSET schedule.
