Dozens of channels from local ABC stations will broadcast a remembrance of Charlie Kirk in place of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Friday, following the sudden and shocking suspension of Disney’s long-time face of late night on Wednesday evening.
The channels belong to Sinclair, one of the biggest local station owners in the U.S. and the largest ABC affiliate group. Sinclair said in a statement on Thursday that the suspension of Kimmel’s show is “not enough,” and called for ABC parent company Disney as well as the Federal Communications Commission to take additional action.
Sinclair said it would not lift the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! until “formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability.” Sinclair separately called upon Kimmel to apologize to the Kirk family and “to make a meaningful personal donation” to the Kirk family and to Turning Point USA, the nonprofit organization co-founded by Kirk in 2012, which advocates for conservative politics on high school, college, and university campuses.
It was not clear if Sinclair was linking such a hypothetical donation to returning a suspended Kimmel to its airwaves, and the media giant did not respond to Fortune’s request for comment.
Public interest?
Sinclair warned in its statement that “regardless of ABC’s plans for the future of the program,” it does not plan to air the show again until it’s confident that “appropriate steps have been taken to uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform.”
In the U.S., the core set of broadcast standards is the FCC’s “public interest” standard, a broadly written statute that requires stations to operate in a way that serves the public’s needs, including respect for community values, diverse viewpoints, and fair, unbiased presentation of important issues. The FCC gives broadcasters flexibility, but “public interest” can include maintaining sensitivity in times of national significance, presenting diverse viewpoints, fairly covering controversial issues, and fostering constructive community discourse.
“Mr. Kimmel’s remarks were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country,” said Sinclair Vice Chairman Jason Smith in a press release. “We believe broadcasters have a responsibility to educate and elevate respectful, constructive dialogue in our communities.”
Smith added in appreciation for FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s Thursday comments that said Kimmel appeared to “mislead” the American public about facts regarding Kirk’s killing in the days leading up to the show’s suspension.
“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,” Smith said in the statement.
Sinclair is headed by Christopher S. Ripley, a Canadian media executive, who has maintained his company is objective, although media critics have accused it at times of promoting conservative talking points.
Sinclair will also air the tribute to Kirk across all of its stations this weekend and it has offered the special to all ABC affiliates across the country, per the company release.
