After ABC’s dramatic decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday night, Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns numerous ABC affiliate stations, announced it will air a tribute special to Charlie Kirk in its place.
Additionally, Sinclair has called on Jimmy Kimmel to issue a “direct apology to” Kirk’s family and make a “meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA,” and said “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. ”
“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 added.
Related Video
Sinclair and fellow media conglomerate Nexstar both pulled Kimmel’s show off their airwaves on Wednesday at the behest of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who issued a not-so-vague threat to pull the FCC licenses of ABC affiliates. It’s worth noting that both Sinclair and Nexstar are known for their conservative political leanings.
The uproar stems from comments Kimmel made during his monologues earlier in the week. “We had 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 with everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said during Monday’s monologue.
He followed that up on Tuesday by criticizing JD Vance and “many in Maga-land [who] are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.” After dismissing Vance’s claim that “most of the lunatics in American politics today are proud members of the far left,” Kimmel countered by asking, “Who wanted to hang the guy who was vice president before you? Was that the liberal left? Or the toothless army who stormed the Capitol on January 6?”
After its affiliates pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! from their nightly lineups, ABC announced that the show would be suspended indefinitely. However, he has not been fired and ABC hopes to have his program back on air “in the next several days,” according to the Wall Street Journal.
For his part, Kimmel reportedly has no plans to apologize, believing his comments were taken out of context.
