While I’m on the topic of Kimmel, it’s been reported that ABC is extending his contract for “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and plans to “re-launch” the show with a big marketing push this spring. Kimmel’s ratings are reportedly on the rise.

The article I linked to above includes some speculation about ABC’s future plans. Currently, Kimmel follows “Nightline.” There are several possibilities:

• Things remain as is, with a half-hour “Nightline” followed by Kimmel.
• “Nightline” is cancelled and Kimmel’s start time moves up a half hour.
• “Nightline” is cancelled and the network goes after an even bigger star for an hour-long 11:30 EST talk show, in which case Kimmel would be pushed back a half an hour and would follow the new program. The two even bigger stars mentioned are Jon Stewart (unlikely) and Conan O’Brien (but only if NBC reneges on its plan to turn the Tonight Show over to O’Brien in 2009)

A fourth possibility was that “Nightline” would expand to an hour, pushing back Kimmel, but the Broadcasting & Cable article seems to imply that one is dead in the water.