What will Sinclair replace ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ with? Company demands apology and donation

Sinclair (Sinclair Broadcast Group) will be replacing Jimmy Kimmel Live's Friday segment with a Charlie Kirk tribute special on all its ABC affiliate stations. The Sinclair Broadcast Group politically leans to the conservative party, which is why Kimmel has been criticized and his show has been "pre-empted indefinitely".

In addition to cancelling the Friday show, the broadcasting company is also demanding that Kimmel send Kirk's family, as well as Turning Point USA, a meaningful personal donation, along with an apology.

Sinclair Inc. took to X to share the news, writing:

"Due to problematic comments regarding the murder of Charlie Kirk in programming provided to broadcast stations by ABC, Sinclair and its partners, which operate ABC stations in 30 markets in the U.S., will stop airing Jimmy Kimmel’s show until further notice."

Sinclair added:

"Regardless of ABC's plans for the future of the program, Sinclair intends not to return 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' to our air until we are confident that appropriate steps have been taken to uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform."

As of now, there has been no talk about the show's return date.

What did Sinclair's vice chairman have to say about Jimmy Kimmel's comments?

Sinclair has disapproved of Kimmel's comments on the show. Jason Smith, the vice chairman of Sinclair, said in a statement:

"Mr. Kimmel's remarks were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country... 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."

ABC's reaction to Jimmy Kimmel's remarks about Charlie Kirk

Before Sinclair responded to the Kimmel situation, ABC pulled the show from its stations. An ABC spokesperson said in a statement shared with CBS News. It reads:

"Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely."

While Andrew Alford, who is the president of the Nextstar broadcasting division, said:

"Mr. Kimmel's comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located."

He added:

"Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve is simply not in the public interest at the current time, and we have made the difficult decision to preempt his show in an effort to let cooler heads prevail as we move toward the resumption of respectful, constructive dialogue."

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Sinclair's decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live has stirred major controversy. Both Sinclair and ABC stressed that Kimmel's remarks about Charlie Kirk were "insensitive" and not aligned with public interest. For now, the show's return remains uncertain.

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