Sinclair ABC stations did not air the Kirk special during the scheduled time slot for Jimmy Kimmel’s show.

In a notable programming shift, Sinclair Broadcasting Group announced that a tribute special honoring Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative commentator who passed away on September 10, was originally slated to replace the late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” this past Friday. However, the special did not air as planned, and Sinclair instead decided to stream the tribute on YouTube, allowing for the continuation of regular ABC programming in the late-night slot.

Sinclair, which oversees 178 ABC television stations across 81 markets, made headlines earlier in the week when it revealed plans to use Kirk’s former time slot for the tribute. Yet, as the broadcast date approached, the media conglomerate reversed its decision, citing a desire to ensure viewers could access their regular late-night offerings. Consequently, the 11:35 p.m. time slot featured a rerun of “Celebrity Family Feud,” and similar episodes aired on ABC on September 17 and 18 as “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” remained off the air.

The decision for the special to be available solely on the National News Desk’s YouTube channel was officially communicated in a statement made on Friday night, clarifying that this strategy was implemented to maintain a stream of ABC programming while still providing access to the tribute online.

While it remains uncertain whether “Celebrity Family Feud” will continue in the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” time slot on upcoming Monday broadcasts, Kimmel is reportedly set to return to his show on Tuesday. His absence has been tied to controversy surrounding remarks he made regarding Kirk’s alleged killer and subsequent responses from conservative circles.

Jason Smith, Sinclair’s vice chairman, expressed strong discontent regarding Kimmel’s comments, labeling them as “inappropriate” and “deeply insensitive.” Smith has publicly called for Kimmel to issue an apology and contribute a “meaningful personal donation” to both Kirk’s family and Turning Point USA, the ultra-conservative organization founded by Kirk.

Following this programming change and public reactions, Sinclair has indicated that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will remain off air until it can ensure that suitable measures are taken to meet the standards expected of national broadcast entities. This development underscores the complexities and challenges facing media corporations amid evolving social and political dynamics in broadcasting.