ABC affiliates owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group will be airing a tribute special to Charlie Kirk in place of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after Kimmel was suspended indefinitely for comments about Kirk on Wednesday.
Deadline reported the change, effected by the largest ABC affiliate group owner in the country, after the network put Kimmel’s show on ice for the foreseeable future.
“Sinclair’s ABC stations will air a special in remembrance of Charlie Kirk this Friday, during ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’s’ timeslot,” a statement from Sinclair read.
“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.”
Kimmel came under fire from many politicians and pundits — including the chair of the Federal Communications Commission — for false assertions on his Monday show, which tied the alleged shooter in Kirk’s assassination to the Republicans.
Officials investigating the murder had already made public details that indicated the alleged assassin was motivated by left-wing ideology. Kimmel claimed otherwise.
“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,” he said on Monday’s show, also mocking President Donald Trump’s grief over losing a friend and close ally.
“This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish,” Kimmel said.
Jimmy Kimmel claims “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” and “This is not how an adult… pic.twitter.com/KMhnskaYWD
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) September 16, 2025
Do you support Sinclair’s decision to replace Kimmel with Kirk?
Even before ABC had put Kimmel on indefinite suspension on Wednesday, Sinclair had announced that it wouldn’t be airing Kimmel’s show going forward, according to The Wall Street Journal. It reiterated that promise in its announcement Wednesday night, in addition to announcing the Kirk tribute.
“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,” the statement read.
“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,” it 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.”
“Mr. Kimmel’s remarks were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country,” Sinclair vice chairman Jason Smith said.
“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.”
Nexstar, another media giant which owns dozens of ABC affiliates, also attacked Kimmel for the Monday monologue, with the president of the company’s broadcast division calling it “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.”
“We do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located,” Andrew Alford said, according to the Wall Street Journal.
It’s unclear whether Nexstar stations — or any other ABC affiliates — will air Sinclair’s Charlie Kirk tribute.
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