Some Georgia stations won’t air ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Can you watch?
The controversy involving “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is not over yet, as some major companies which control a number of ABC affiliates are holding firm on not airing the show.
The show was set to return to the air Tuesday night. Some Georgia viewers won’t see Kimmel at all, as these station owners control several ABC affiliates in Georgia.
The late-night show, which has been a network staple since 2003, is caught up in a dispute between ABC and major station owners, and previously suspended the late-night talk show host after comments he made regarding the death of Charlie Kirk.
It’s not as simple as “ABC” won’t air the show
TVRev, a media analysis site, explains how ownership limits and shapes who controls TV stations, with networks owning some outright and others run by affiliate groups through agreements.
As a national network, ABC produces and distributes shows such as “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” However, whether you actually see a particular show depends on the local affiliate. Affiliates are independently owned stations that license network programming.
If the station’s ownership group decides to block or replace a show, viewers in that market are left out.
That’s why viewers in Atlanta, where the ABC affiliate is owned by Cox Media, can still watch Kimmel as usual, while those in Macon can’t.
These Georgia stations won’t air Jimmy Kimmel!
In a statement posted to X the media conglomerate Sinclair announced, “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.”
Nextstar, a separate major broadcast group, stood by the original decision as well. In a news release posted to its website on Sept. 23, the company said they will preempt Kimmel, “pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve.”
The following ABC affiliates in Georgia have opted not to run Jimmy Kimmel Live!
- Macon: WGXA - Owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
- Augusta: WJBF - Owned by Nexstar Media Group
WRBL in Columbus is owned by Nexstar Media Group, however, this local station is a CBS affiliate won’t be affected by the Kimmel news.
Here’s a full list of stations, by state, that won’t air the show
According to TVInsider, these stations will prempt Jimmy Kimmel Live!
- Abilene-Sweewater, TX (KTXS) – Sinclair
- Albany, NY (WTEN) – Nexstar
- Amarillo, TX (KVII, KVIH) – Sinclair
- Augusta, GA (WJBF) – Nexstar
- Billings, MT (KSVI) – Nexstar
- Binghamton, NY (WIVT/WBGH-CD) – Nexstar
- Birmingham, AL (WBMA, WDBB) – Sinclair
- Burlington, VT (WVNY) – Nexstar
- Champaign-Springfield-Decatur, IL (WICD, WICS) – Sinclair
- Charleston-Huntington, WV (WCHS) – Sinclair
- Charleston, SC (WCIV) – Sinclair
- Chattanooga, TN (WTVC) – Sinclair
- Clarksburg/Weston, WV (WBOY) – Nexstar
- Columbus, OH (WSYX) – Sinclair
- Dayton, OH (WKEF) – Sinclair
- Dothan, AL (WDHN) – Nexstar
- Erie, PA (WJET) – Nexstar
- Eureka, CA (KAEF) – Sinclair
- Evansville, IN (WEHT) – Nexstar
- Florence-Myrtle Beach, SC (WPDE) – Sinclair
- Grand Rapids, MI (WOTV) – NexstarGreensboro-High Point-Winston Salem, NC (WXLV) – Sinclair
- Greenville-N. Bern-Washington, NC (WCTI) – Sinclair
- Greenville-Spartanburg, SC / Asheville, NC / Anderson, SC (WLOS) – Sinclair
- Harrisburg, PA (WHTM) – Nexstar
- Hartford/New Haven, CT (WTNH) – Nexstar
- Knoxville, TN (WATE) – Nexstar
- Lansing, MI (WLAJ) – Nexstar
- Lincoln-Hastings-Kearney, NE (KHGI, KHGI-CD, KWNB, KWNB-LD) – Sinclair
- Little Rock-Pine Bluff, AR (KATV) – Sinclair
- Lubbock, TX (KAMC) – Nexstar
- Macon, GA (WGXA) – Sinclair
- Midland/Odessa, TX (KMID) – Nexstar
- Mobile, AL / Pensacola, FL (WEAR) – Sinclair
- Nashville, TN (WKRN) – Nexstar
- New Orleans, LA (WGNO) – Nexstar
- Ottomwa, IA / Kirksville, MO (KTVO) – Sinclair
- Panama City, FL (WMBB) – Nexstar
- Portland, OR (KATU) – Sinclair
- Quincy, IL / Hannibal, MO / Keokuk, IA (KHQA) – Sinclair
- Richmond, VA (WRIC) – Nexsta
- Roanoke – Lynchburg, VA (WSET) – Sinclair
- Rochester, NY (WHAM) – Sinclair
- Rockford, IL (WTVO) – Nexstar
- San Angelo, TX (KTXE-LD) – Sinclair
- Salt Lake City, UT (KTVX) – Nexstar
- Seattle-Tacoma, WA (KOMO) – Sinclair
- Sioux City, IA (KCAU) – Nexstar
- St. Louis, MO (KDNL)
- Syracuse, NY (WSYR) – Nexstar
- Terre Haute, IN (WAWV) – Nexstar
- Topeka, KS (KTKA) – Nexstar
- Traverse City-Cadillac, MI (WGTQ, WGTU, WPBN, WTOM) – Sinclair
- Tri-Cities, TN-VA (WJHL) – Nexstar
- Tulsa, OK (KTUL)
- Utica, NY (WUTR) – Nexstar
- Washington, D.C. (WJLA) – Sinclair
- Watertown, NY (WWTI) – Nexstar
- Wheeling WV-Steubenville, OH (WTRF) – Nexstar
- Youngstown, OH (WYTV) – Nexstar
How to watch Kimmel if you live in one of those markets
If you live in one of the affected Georgia markets, you still have options:
- Streaming services: Episodes are available next-day on Hulu, and clips are often uploaded to ABC’s YouTube channel.
- Antenna or cable alternatives: You may be able to access a nearby ABC affiliate that does carry the show.
- ABC app and website: The network posts full episodes for authenticated cable or streaming subscribers.
In Georgia, what you watch depends less on ABC itself, and more on who owns your local station. Will you be happy to see Jimmy Kimmel back on the air? Email me at srose@ledger-enquirer.com or find me on social media.
This story was originally published September 23, 2025 at 6:05 PM.