Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest owner of ABC affiliate television stations, originally pledged to air a tribute to Charlie Kirk in Jimmy Kimmel’s usual time slot on Friday evening. The plan was for a “special in remembrance” of Kirk following Kimmel’s suspension. But when it came time to air it, Sinclair backed out of running the tribute on its ABC stations. Instead, they posted a link for viewers to watch the special on YouTube.
Sinclair had sharply criticized Kimmel’s comments about Kirk’s alleged assassin, after Kimmel suggested in a monologue that the suspect was aligned with the “MAGA gang.” In response to the backlash, ABC removed Kimmel’s show from the air indefinitely. Sinclair said its ABC stations would air a special tribute in his timeslot and offered it to other ABC affiliates nationwide. But later, Sinclair reversed course and decided to stick with scheduled ABC network programming during Kimmel’s late‑night slot, offering the tribute only online.
The tribute was made available via Sinclair’s “National News Desk” YouTube channel instead of on traditional local broadcasts. Viewers in Sinclair‑owned markets who expected to see remembrance programming on local ABC affiliates were instead pointed to the online version. The network cited their desire to maintain ABC’s programming and the need to provide access to the tribute without disrupting scheduled shows.
Charlie Kirk was assassinated on September 10 at Utah Valley University. His alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, has been charged with aggravated murder and faces the death penalty. Prosecutors say Robinson confessed in messages to friends and in texts with his romantic partner, Lance Twiggs, who identifies as transgender and was his roommate at the time.
This decision by Sinclair has sparked debate over media responsibility, affiliate power vs. network control, and how broadcasters respond to public pressure. Many viewers feel that promises were broken when Sinclair did not air the tribute as initially announced. Others argue that airing it online still offers a degree of access without altering existing programming agreements.
