ABC affiliates to air Charlie Kirk tribute in place of Jimmy Kimmel Live!
One day after ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel indefinitely from his nightly show for his comments about Charlie Kirk’s death, the country’s largest ABC affiliate group announced it will air a tribute…
One day after ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel indefinitely from his nightly show for his comments about Charlie Kirk’s death, the country’s largest ABC affiliate group announced it will air a tribute to Kirk on Friday in the Jimmy Kimmel Live! time slot.
According to Deadline, Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns and operates more than 40 ABC affiliates nationwide, 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 company said in a release. “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.”
Kimmel was removed from the air indefinitely after he said Monday the “MAGA gang” had hit “new lows,” claiming that Republicans had attempted to characterize Kirk’s alleged assassin as “anything other than one of them.”
It was already revealed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox that suspect Tyler Robinson had become “deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology,” viewing Kirk as “full of hate and spreading hate.” Robinson, 22, is in custody, facing a capital felony count of aggravated murder as well as other charges.
Disney, ABC’s parent company, announced Kimmel’s removal Wednesday after another large station operator, Nexstar, said it wouldn’t air the show “to let cooler heads prevail as we move toward the resumption of respectful, constructive dialogue.”
Sinclair’s holdings include ABC stations in Seattle, Little Rock, Tulsa and Washington, D.C.
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.
A separate memorial for Kirk is set for Sunday. Speakers include President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow.
