It looks like leadership at ABC wants to bring Jimmy Kimmel back to television, if they can.

Kimmel met with Disney TV executive Dana Walden and ABC late-night chief Rob Mills in Los Angeles Thursday, but ended without a path for the comedian to return to "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," according to Puck’s Matt Belloni.

“I’m told the meeting was cordial but ended this evening without Kimmel agreeing to do more than what he wanted to say on Wednesday,” Belloni wrote.

Kimmel was preparing to address the right-wing backlash over his remarks Wednesday, but wasn’t planning on issuing an apology, according to multiple reports. Instead, he wanted to target President Donald Trump’s most ardent supporters in a monologue one source described to CNN as “very hot.”

“Disney thought that went too far,” Belloni wrote.

Kimmel was suspended Wednesday by Disney, ABC’s parent company, after Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr pressured local affiliates to “take actions on Kimmel” over comments the comedian made about conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated Sept. 10.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said in an interview with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson Wednesday afternoon.

Hours later, two companies that own numerous local TV stations — Nexstar and Sinclair — announced they would preempt Kimmel’s show on their stations, forcing ABC’s hand. Nexstar is currently seeking FCC approval for a $6.2 billion merger with another local TV company, Tegna.

Kimmel has not spoken publicly since being pulled off the air. ABC’s only comment remains the initial seven-word statement it released Wednesday stating "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" was being suspended “indefinitely.”

ABC affiliate owner wants Kimmel to apologize and donate to Kirk’s family

Sinclair — a Baltimore-based company which owns 31 ABC affiliates — is demanding Kimmel apologize to Kirk’s family and make a donation to the conservative organization he founded, Turning Point USA.

“Mr. Kimmel’s remarks were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country,” Jason Smith, Sinclair’s vice chairman, said in a statement.

Smith said Sinclair wouldn’t bring back "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" to its affiliates until “we are confident that appropriate steps have been taken to uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform.”

So far, there has been no indication Kimmel is willing to apologize for his remarks.

On Friday night, Sinclair is broadcasting a one-hour tribute to Kirk that will be available for all ABC affiliates to air in Kimmel’s time slot.

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