Hunt Valley, Maryland – Multiple ABC TV stations will air a tribute special for the late right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk to fill the now-open time slot left by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
In a press release shared Wednesday, Sinclair Broadcast Group, which operates 30 ABC affiliates, announced its stations will air a special in remembrance of Kirk on Friday and over the weekend during the slot previously held by Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
The move comes after Kirk was fatally shot during a debate event on a Utah university campus last week.
During Monday’s episode of his late-night show, Kimmel criticized MAGA Republicans for “desperately trying to characterize” the alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson, as “anything other than one of them.”
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A spokesperson for ABC announced on Wednesday that the show was being taken off the air “indefinitely.”
Kimmel’s cancellation has sparked fury, with many seeing the move as an infringement on free speech rights.
Sinclair Broadcast Group argued that the indefinite pause doesn’t go far enough, with Vice Chairman Jason Smith describing the host’s remarks as “inappropriate and deeply insensitive.” He further called on the FCC to “take immediate regulatory action” to “uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform.”
Sinclair is also demanding that Kimmel issue an apology and make a donation to the Kirk family, as well as the influencer’s conservative Turning Point USA group.
