After announcing a Charlie Kirk tribute special to take over Jimmy Kimmel‘s time slot, Sinclair backed out of Friday’s planned programming.
The country’s largest ABC affiliate group instead shared a YouTube link to the special after making an example of Jimmy Kimmel Live! in a statement announcing they would be giving the remembrance his late-night slot.
“Tonight, Sinclair will continue to air ABC network programming as scheduled in the late-night time period,” the company shared in a Friday update on X. “The Charlie Kirk special will instead be available on The National News Desk’s YouTube channel, ensuring viewers can continue to enjoy ABC programming while also providing full access to the special online.”
The latest comes after Disney‘s announcement that the late-night show will be “preempted indefinitely,” following the FCC‘s warning about Kimmel’s Kirk comments.
In a news release, Sinclair previously announced that they will not lift the suspension on Kimmel’s show “until formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability.”
“Sinclair also calls upon Mr. Kimmel to issue a direct apology to the Kirk family. Furthermore, we ask Mr. Kimmel to make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA,” the statement continued. “Regardless of ABC’s plans for the future of the program, Sinclair intends not to return Jimmy Kimmel Live! to our air until we are confident that appropriate steps have been taken to uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform.”
Sinclair Vice Chairman Jason Smith said in a statement, “Mr. Kimmel’s remarks were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country. We believe broadcasters have a responsibility to educate and elevate respectful, constructive dialogue in our communities. We appreciate FCC Chairman Carr’s remarks today and this incident highlights the critical need for the FCC to take immediate regulatory action to address control held over local broadcasters by the big national networks.”
The stunning suspension of Kimmel comes mere minutes after Nexstar also axed his late-night show on the 32 ABC affiliates it owns out of a total of 200 stations throughout the nation.
‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’
Randy Holmes/Disney
“Nexstar’s owned and partner television stations affiliated with the ABC Television Network will preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! for the foreseeable future beginning with tonight’s show,” said the company in a statement Wednesday. “Nexstar strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.”
Known for his ‘Prove Me Wrong’ debates and MAGA POV, activist Kirk was shot dead at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10 in a tragedy that has sent shock through the political and media worlds.
Having previously mocked Trump over POTUS’ take on the NFL and TikTok, Kimmel offered his blunt assessment of the aftermath of Kirk’s death in his opening monologue on his September 15 show: “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,” the host said.
