Sinclair replacing Kimmel with Charlie Kirk special, demands apology

Amid Disney/ABC’s decision to yank “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from its lineup over comments about the Charlie Kirk killing, the Sinclair Broadcasting Group said it will use his late night time slot for a tribute special to the late ultra conservative figure.

The Maryland-headquartered local broadcast giant announced it will air a remembrance special honoring Kirk on all Sinclair stations on Friday. The show will be offered to ABC affiliates nationwide.

Jason Smith, the company’s vice chairman, called the comedian’s remarks during Monday’s broadcast – suggesting the alleged killer Tyler Robinson was linked to Donald Trump’s MAGA movement – “inappropriate” and “deeply insensitive.”

Attributing the action to Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr’s suggestion that the regulatory agency might take action against ABC over the remarks, the high-ranking TV executive also demanded an apology from Kimmel.

Sinclair also wants Kimmel to send “a meaningful personal donation” to Kirk’s family and Turning Point USA, the ultraconservative organization Kirk founded.

The local ABC affiliate, KXLY, is not owned by Sinclair, but by Morgan Murphy Media. KXLY is an ABC network affiliate and had no input on the decision to indefinitely suspend Kimmel’s show, KXLY wrote in a statement Thursday.

“KXLY will continue to be focused on serving our local viewers with quality local news and community service programming,” KXLY wrote online. “Our commitment to that is unwavering.”

The KXLY TV schedule for the 11:35 p.m. slot during which Kimmel usually airs showed “Celebrity Family Feud” in its place.

He clarified that Sinclair stations will not air “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” until “we are confident that appropriate steps have been taken to uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform.”

Sinclair operates 178 television stations in 81 markets, and is considered the nation’s largest group of ABC local TV affiliates.