On Friday, Sinclair had planned to replace the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” timeslot on its ABC-affiliated stations with a special news segment on Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who was assassinated earlier this month.
But the TV station group owner abruptly reversed course — saying it had decided to post the Kirk special on YouTube, not on its ABC local stations, so that “viewers can continue to enjoy ABC programming.” On Friday, the 11:35 p.m. one-hour slot on ABC was a rerun of “Celebrity Family Feud” hosted by Steve Harvey. ABC also ran “Celebrity Family Feud” eps on Sept. 17 and 18 after “indefinitely” suspending Kimmel’s show over on-air comments he made about Kirk’s killer.
Sinclair said in a statement posted Friday at 11:24 p.m. ET, “Tonight, Sinclair will continue to air ABC network programming as scheduled in the late-night time period. 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.”
Sinclair and Nexstar Media Group, another big ABC affiliate, said Sept. 17 they were pulling “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from their lineups over what Kimmel said on his show Monday: “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize the kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it.” MAGA supporters, interpreting that as Kimmel saying Kirk’s assassin was “one of them,” became outraged. The Nexstar and Sinclair announcements were preceded by comments FCC chairman Brendan Carr made on a conservative podcast, strongly implying ABC and its affiliates would be targeted by the agency if they didn’t “take action” on Kimmel (in other words, pull his show off the air). “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said.
Following pressure from affiliates and Carr’s threat, an ABC spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday: “’Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ will be pre-empted indefinitely.” Kimmel has not commented on the matter. Variety reported Friday that Kimmel and Disney execs are in talks on a compromise to bring the show back on the air.
Sinclair, well known for its conservative politics, on Wednesday said that before it would consider returning “Kimmel” to its ABC affiliates, Kimmel must apologize to Kirk’s family and send “a meaningful personal donation” to them as well as Turning Point USA, the organization Kirk founded.
“Mr. Kimmel’s remarks were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country,” Sinclair vice chairman Jason Smith said in a statement issued Sept. 17. “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.”
Sinclair’s 55-minute special on Kirk, titled “The National News Desk: Special Edition; The Life and Legacy of Charlie Kirk,” was described by the outlet like this: “We’ll take an in-depth look not just at the life and legacy of Charlie Kirk, but also at issues of political violence in America, the future of politics, and the growing young voices of America. This timely and thought-provoking discussion offers critical insights into the evolving state of American democracy.”
Sinclair operates 38 ABC affiliates, including WJLA (Washington, D.C.); KOMO (Seattle); KDNL (St. Louis); KATV (Little Rock, Ark.); KTUL (Tulsa, Okla.); WTVC (Chattanooga, Tenn.); and WCIV (Charleston, S.C.).
For the record, the episode of “Celebrity Family Feud” that aired Friday on ABC stations was originally broadcast Aug. 21. It featured singer Normani competing with actor-comedian Michelle Buteau, followed by actor-comedian Andy Richter battling actor Jason Ritter. The prize money from the show goes to the winning celebs’ selected charities.
