'Gimme my Jimmy.' Seattle protesters condemn KOMO, Sinclair's refusal to air Kimmel
As fans across the country prepared for comedian Jimmy Kimmel's return to late night TV, protesters in Seattle gathered outside of the local ABC affiliate KOMO-TV on Tuesday afternoon.
Kimmel is expected to be back on air Tuesday night, after being temporarily suspended last week following comments he made surrounding conservative influencer Charlie Kirk's assassination.
But Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns KOMO, has said the company won't air “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” despite ABC parent company Disney's decision to lift the host’s suspension.
RELATED: Jimmy Kimmel will be back on air on Tuesday, Disney says
In a statement shared on social media Monday, Sinclair said it would be preempting “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” with news programming. The statement added discussions with ABC were “ongoing” as the company evaluated the show’s potential return.
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Protesters carried homemade signs with messages like “Democracies don’t muzzle comedians” and “Bring Back Jimmy,” while others chanted, “Boycott Sinclair, defend free speech.”
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Chris Kevorkian stood outside KOMO Plaza’s entrance on Denny Way, waving a homemade sign that read“Gimme My Jimmy!”
Kevorkian, who is a fan of Kimmel’s, said he believes Sinclair’s decision to not air the late-night show sets a “dangerous precedent.”
“Sinclair is, I think, impinging on our First Amendment rights as residents of this marketplace,” Kevorkian said. “We can find other ways to find [Kimmel], and it will be easy, but it’s indicative of a point of view that isn’t healthy for democracy.”
Kristin Bartus said she started protesting outside of KOMO last week, after ABC’s parent company, Disney, initially decided to pull Kimmel off the air.
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For Tuesday’s protest, Bartus brought a sign that said “Sinclair Silences Speech,” featuring a picture of Kimmel with his mouth taped over. While Kimmel’s comments may have been critical, Bartus said she doesn’t believe they were dangerous or violent.
“He’s just critiquing our society and our culture, and in democracies, that’s not silenced,” she said.
While Bartus may not be able to turn on her TV and tune into Kimmel’s show on KOMO tonight, there are other options. In our digital age, Bartus said she’ll turn to Youtube to watch clips.
Sinclair did not respond to a request from KUOW for comment.
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Noel Gasca
General Assignment Reporter
Noel is a general assignment reporter for KUOW, covering everything from city hall to pickleball. Prior to joining the newsroom, Noel worked as a producer for KUOW’s midday show Soundside. Noel has also worked as an online editor and producer with KUOW’s web team, and she’s also a proud graduate of KUOW’s RadioActive program.
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Juan Pablo Chiquiza
Social Media Strategist
Juan Pablo handles social media content, planning and scheduling at KUOW. He edits and manages a variety of original KUOW social content, including video. In fact, Juan is behind the station's pivot to video. As KUOW's live shows shifted online streaming during the pandemic, KUOW became a leader and guide for NPR as well as many NPR member stations. Juan also serves as the station's second-in-command photographer and reliably jumps into any situation with his expert skills, from breaking news events such as protests to live KUOW events such as Year in Review, podcast live events, and Town Hall meetings.
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