## Nexstar and Sinclair End Jimmy Kimmel Boycott
Nexstar joined Sinclair on Friday in calling off its Jimmy Kimmel boycott just days after ABC returned the comedian to late-night television.
Beginning friday night,*Jimmy Kimmel Live!* will return to air on the ABC affiliates,which had preempted the show last week over remarks he made about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
“As a local broadcaster, Nexstar remains committed to protecting the First Amendment while producing and airing local and national news that is fact-based and unbiased and, above all, broadcasting content that is in the best interest of the communities we serve,” a Nexstar statement said. “We stand apart from cable television, monolithic streaming services, and national networks in our commitment-and obligation-to be stewards of the public airwaves.”
Similarly, Sinclair issued a statement earlier on Friday reversing its decision to keep the comedian off its airwaves.
It cited “feedback from viewers, advertisers, and community leaders representing a wide range of perspectives.”
Sinclair had previously vowed not to put Kimmel back on air unless meetings were held with ABC to discuss the network’s “commitmentment to professionalism and accountability.”
Those discussions are still ongoing, though ABC and Disney have not yet accepted any measures proposed by Sinclair, which included a network-wide self-reliant ombudsman, per the company’s Friday release.
The stand-down comes days after Kimmel’s first episode back on air had the highest ratings for a regularly scheduled episode in over a decade. His monologue at the top of the show ranged from the First Amendment and the Trump governance to Erica Kirk’s speech at her late husband’s memorial, garnering over 21 million views on YouTube.
The Rise of Streaming TV Puts the Future of the FCC in Question
Earlier this year, streaming surpassed traditional cable and broadcast television to become the most-watched form of TV in the United States, a milestone confirmed by Nielsen data. this shift in viewing habits is prompting a re-evaluation of the role of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the government agency responsible for regulating broadcasting.
The FCC’s regulatory power doesn’t extend to the streaming services themselves, like Netflix, Hulu, or Disney+. Instead, the FCC licenses individual broadcast television and radio stations – the local affiliates that may carry programming from major networks such as CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox Corporation. This distinction is crucial. the FCC regulates how content is delivered over the public airwaves, not the content itself, or the platforms delivering it via the internet.
As more viewers cut the cord and embrace streaming, the relevance of regulating these individual broadcast stations is being questioned. With viewership declining for traditional broadcast, the core justification for the FCC’s existing regulatory framework is eroding.
“I think this is an open question,” stated policy expert Harold Feld, of Public Knowledge, in a recent interview with Fortune. “I think we don’t really know what to think about the ultimate usefulness of the FCC.”
The FCC’s original mandate centered around ensuring a diversity of voices and localism in broadcasting, as well as technical standards for transmission. However, the internet offers a far wider range of voices than traditional broadcasting ever could, and streaming services aren’t subject to the same geographic limitations.
Potential future roles for the FCC in a streaming-dominated landscape could include:
* Net Neutrality: Enforcing net neutrality rules to ensure that internet service providers (ISPs) don’t discriminate against streaming services. The FCC reinstated net neutrality rules in April 2024 after they were repealed in 2017.
* Broadband Access: Expanding broadband access, particularly in rural areas, to ensure that all Americans have access to streaming services. The FCC has several programs aimed at increasing broadband access.
* Competition: Monitoring the streaming market to prevent anti-competitive practices by dominant players.
However, any meaningful expansion of the FCC’s authority over streaming would likely face legal challenges and political opposition. The debate over the FCC’s future is highly likely to intensify as streaming continues to grow and reshape the media landscape.