Jimmy Kimmel's comeback dealt major blow as ABC affiliate refuses to air show

Jimmy Kimmel’s late night talk show was set to return, but things have hit a dead end as ABC affiliates are refusing to lift the suspension.

Jimmy Kimmel’s long-running show has been the hot topic of late, as it drew the ire of conservatives after the host addressed the assassination of Charlie Kirk in his show last week.

Not only did Kimmel mention the shooting, but he also reflected on the conservative response to it, namely Donald Trump.

Following these comments, ABC made the decision to suspend the show ‘indefinitely’, with some insisting it was good to get rid of Kimmel while others said it was assault on free speech.

Less than a week later, however, Disney announced that Kimmel’s show would be returning.

Kimmel's return to TV screens is not going seamlessly so far Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

The Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC, said in a statement on September 22: "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."

But with that said, Sinclair Inc., whose local stations pay to run ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live!, announced that they would be upholding the move to keep the show off the air.

This means that in nearly 40 major markets on TV, Kimmel’s show will simply be replaced with local programming.

The company said: “Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming. Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show's potential return.”

Sinclair made it clear what three things they wanted to happen before Kimmel's show could return (Media Access Awards Presented By Easterseals/Getty Images for Easterseals)

A preemption is when the owners of an affiliate replace national programming with their own.

This comes after Sinclair made it clear there were conditions they wanted met before Kimmel’s show could return to air.

The company made it clear that the suspension would not be lifted until 'formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability'.

Sinclair also called upon Kimmel to' issue a direct apology to the Kirk family' and also make a 'meaningful personal donation' to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA.

In a statement they said: “Regardless of ABC’s plans for the future of the program, Sinclair intends not to return Jimmy Kimmel Live! to our air until we are confident that appropriate steps have been taken to uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform.”