Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to the air Tuesday night. Disney, which owns Kimmel’s employer ABC, yanked the show last week after a pressure campaign from the Trump administration, which was displeased by Kimmel’s remarks following the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. But viewers in the Washington area won’t be able to see the show’s return on local ABC affiliate WJLA because it is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, the Maryland company that announced it will preempt the broadcast. Nexstar, another giant of local broadcasting, said Tuesday it won’t show Kimmel’s show either. In this market, Nexstar owns WDCW, which is branded as DC News Now and isn’t an ABC affiliate.
Shaw’s Tavern on Florida Avenue posted on Instagram Monday night that it planned to show the segment live. But, general manager Rob Heim tells Washingtonian, “Unfortunately, due to broadcasting restrictions and legal considerations, we won’t be able to air the segment tonight. This idea came together quickly after yesterday’s announcement that the show was returning.” The bar still plans a late-night happy hour. “For anyone looking to gather in good company and celebrate free speech, the bar will be open with a warm seat waiting,” Heim says.
Could a local Kimmel fan (or a person interested in what the host might say upon his return) watch anyway? If you have a TV antenna, you might be able to pull in Baltimore station WMAR, which is owned by the E.W. Scripps Company. But if you don’t fancy spending time on your roof trying to aim an antenna just so, you may have a few options. Someone who has a VPN, for instance, could conceivably set a different location for themselves and watch via ABC’s site.
Information about such workarounds, which networks tend to frown on, has proved difficult to obtain. Representatives from the over-the-top live-TV streaming services from Hulu (which is owned by Disney and just announced a price increase) and YouTube have not yet responded to Washingtonian’s questions about whether subscribers will be able to watch Kimmel on their platforms Tuesday night. Neither has an ABC spokesperson. Perhaps that’s a reflection of how touchy the subject is: Beyond the political dust-up, streaming rights are a longstanding point of contention between networks and local stations. Sling TV offers a $4.99 one-day pass to try its live-TV offerings, but a representative tells Washingtonian it doesn’t offer ABC in our area.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
