PRIMETIME CHAOS

Sinclair Nixes Plan to Air Charlie Kirk Memorial

The program was initially planned to run during Jimmy Kimmel’s time slot.

Television broadcasting company Sinclair did not run a planned Charlie Kirk news segment on Friday night. The special, meant to memorialize the conservative activist who was murdered on Sept. 10, was scheduled to air during Jimmy Kimmel’s usual time slot on ABC. Instead, six minutes before the program was set to air, Sinclair released a statement saying that the Kirk special would only be available on YouTube. “Tonight, Sinclair will continue to air ABC network programming as scheduled in the late-night time period,” the company stated. “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.” The ABC programming that replaced both Jimmy Kimmel Live! and the special was a re-run of Celebrity Family Feud. Sinclair and Nexstar, another major broadcasting group, both pulled Kimmel’s show from air on Wednesday, hours before ABC suspended the late night host indefinitely, citing comments Kimmel made about Kirk’s death on his Monday night broadcast. “Mr. Kimmel’s remarks were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country,” Sinclair vice chairman Jason Smith, following the decision. It is unclear when or if Kimmel will return to air.