Sinclair Broadcast Group announced Wednesday night that it will air a special tribute to Charlie Kirk in the late-night slot previously held by Jimmy Kimmel Live! following ABC’s decision to pull Kimmel off the air over remarks he made about Kirk’s assassination.
“Sinclair’s ABC stations will air a special in remembrance of Charlie Kirk this Friday, during the Jimmy Kimmel Live! timeslot,” the 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.”
The move came hours after FCC Chair Brendan Carr warned that ABC affiliates could face action for broadcasting Kimmel’s comments, saying they failed to serve the public interest. Sinclair, the largest ABC affiliate group in the U.S., said it would not reinstate Kimmel until formal talks with ABC occur. The company also called for Kimmel to apologize directly to Kirk’s family and to make a personal donation to the family and Turning Point USA.
ABC’s suspension of Kimmel was echoed by Nexstar Media Group, another major ABC affiliate owner, which also removed the program from its schedule. The backlash stemmed from Kimmel’s claim that Kirk’s assassin was a Trump supporter—an assertion contradicted by investigators, who say the suspect was influenced by leftist ideology and targeted Kirk for his conservative 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,” Kimmel said during the broadcast that sparked the controversy.
Carr praised Sinclair and Nexstar for their decisions, saying broadcasters have “long retained the right to not air national programs” inconsistent with public interest or community values.
But Democrats sharply criticized ABC’s move, framing it as censorship. “America is meant to be a bastion of free speech,” Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said. “Everybody across the political spectrum should be speaking out to stop what’s happening to Jimmy Kimmel. This is about protecting democracy.”