Local ABC affiliate WJLA Channel 7 will air a one-hour tribute to Charlie Kirk during what would ordinarily be Jimmy Kimmel's late night time slot in the Washington, D.C. market this Friday night, September 19, 2025. ABC 7 is owned by Maryland-based Sinclair Broadcast Group, which along with rival broadcast firm Nexstar Media Group, successfully pressured the Disney-owned ABC network to suspend Kimmel indefinitely yesterday. Kimmel was suspended for making false statements about the assassination of Kirk, who was fatally shot during a Turning Point USA college event in Utah last week.
Kimmel has long been a pugnacious and vitriolic critic of President Donald Trump and his MAGA movement, devoting many minutes of his program to attacks on both nightly. But he has never faced any serious consequences until now, and parent company Disney seemed quite content with Kimmel's shift from a late night comedy show to a hardcore political broadcast that trashed half of his potential viewing audience. What changed?
Nexstar hopes to successfully pull off a merger with Tysons-based Tegna, which would bring more local TV stations into its nationwide portfolio, including local CBS affiliate WUSA 9. Disney and Sinclair may also have potential tie-ups down the road, which would similarly need the approval of a Trump or future GOP administration. As a result, this time they had to show some action on Kimmel's controversial remarks.
Whether Kimmel will actually be canceled by ABC remains to be seen, but his return would certainly risk the ire of Trump. Disney will have to decide if defending the declining career of Kimmel would be worth potentially-major financial consequences for the entertainment giant in the future. Kimmel's ratings have plunged 11% as of the last reporting period, dropping him to third place in his time slot.
The ABC 7 Kirk tribute will be only one of the local events remembering the slain TPUSA founder this weekend. A candlelight prayer vigil for Kirk in Montgomery County is set for this Saturday night in Rockville.
Photo courtesy Salem Media Group
5 comments:
The killing of Charlie Kirk is regrettable -- as is the wrongful killing of any person. However, Charlie Kirk should neither be canonized nor become the next Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Free speech is free speech -- equally for Jimmy Kimmel and the MAGA minority (albeit a pushy and vocal minority, a minority of the country nevertheless). Government has no business in determining which speech is preferred. It is the F.C.C., Sinclair and Nexstar which should apologize -- to Kimmel and ALL AMERICANS, and Jimmy Kimmel Live should be immediately reinstated to regular broadcasting. Capitulating to a wannabe dicktator is not a principle of democracy.
Saturday night in Rockville, be there it will be WILD!
RIP Charlie.
8:38 Completely fails to understand the difference. Kimmel is free to say anything he wishes and his employer is also free to employ who they wish. If Kimmel were imprisoned for the lies that he stated, then you would have a 1st Amendment violation. Kirk was murdered by a weak minded person influenced by leftists comparing anyone who disagrees with them to an authoritarian. Try using the dictionary to look up terms you guys throw around with abandon because you use the words but have absolutely no idea what they mean.
Glad to see ABC airing this tribute. No one cares that much about Kimmel. President Trump is right again when he says that Kimmel was fired because his ratings were terrible. Media companies are souless and only care about one thing, money. If Kimmel had huge ratings and was making Disney ABC a lot of money, we wouldn't be talking about this. This was the excuse they needed and they ceased upon it. Simple. I want to see local cameras at the vigil in Rockville and the ususally always on Zoom Elrich interviewed.
Post a Comment