Broadcast Giant To Air Charlie Kirk Tribute In Place Of Jimmy Kimmel On Its ABC Stations

Sinclair, one of the largest broadcast companies in the United States, said Wednesday night that it would air a special tribute to Charlie Kirk this Friday in the late-night time slot that Jimmy Kimmel’s show had occupied. 

The announcement came after ABC pulled Kimmel off the air in response to remarks he made about the recent assassination of Kirk in Utah last week. Kimmel’s preemption came just hours after FCC Chair Brendan Carr warned that his agency could take action against ABC affiliates airing Kimmel’s remarks, arguing they failed to serve the public interest.

“Sinclair’s ABC stations will air a special in remembrance of Charlie Kirk this Friday, during the Jimmy Kimmel Live! Timeslot,” the broadcasting company said. “The special will also air across all Sinclair stations this weekend. In addition, Sinclair is offering the special to all ABC affiliates across the country.”

Sinclair is the largest ABC affiliate group in the country and plans to keep the suspension in place until it has further talks with ABC. It has ABC affiliates in several cities, including Washington, D.C., Seattle, and Tulsa.

“Sinclair will not lift the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on our stations until formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability. Sinclair also called upon Mr. Kimmel to issue a direct apology to the Kirk family. Furthermore, Sinclair asks Mr. Kimmel to make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA,” the company said. 

ABC’s preemption of Kimmel’s show came as Nexstar, another major ABC affiliate owner, declared it would remove the program from its schedule following the host’s remarks about Kirk.

The comments from Kimmel that prompted the backlash included the host claiming that Kirk’s assassin was a Donald Trump supporter. Investigators say that the 22-year-old man arrested for Kirk’s killing was deeply steeped in leftist ideology and disliked the conservative commentator for his beliefs.

“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” said Kimmel.

Carr praised both Sinclair and Nexstar for their decisions to stop broadcasting Kimmel’s show.

“Broadcasters have long retained the right to not air national programs that they believe are inconsistent with the public interest, including their local communities’ values,” Carr said Thursday. “I am glad to see that many broadcasters are responding to their viewers as intended.”

Democrats have criticized ABC’s decision to remove Kimmel from the air, arguing it constitutes an attack on “free speech.”

“America is meant to be a bastion of free speech. Everybody across the political spectrum should be speaking out to stop what’s happening to Jimmy Kimmel. This is about protecting democracy,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY).