YOUNGSTOWN "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" will return to the ABC affiliate in Youngstown and other television stations owned by Nexstar Media Group, Inc., ending a period of preemption for the late-night program that began last week.

Nexstar announced Friday that the show would return to its owned and partner ABC-affiliated stations beginning Friday night, Sept. 26. This includes local stations such as WYTV Channel 33 in Youngstown, and others in the company's network of more than 200 stations across 116 U.S. markets.

The company's decision follows a week of the stations substituting the ABC late-night program with local news and other programming after host Jimmy Kimmel was briefly suspended by ABC, then reinstated, following controversial comments he made about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Nexstar stated that it had "discussions with executives at The Walt Disney Company" and that it appreciated their "constructive approach to addressing our concerns." The broadcaster reaffirmed its commitment to providing "fact-based and unbiased" news and content in the "best interest of the communities we serve."

Nexstar had previously preempted the show following what ABC initially referred to as Kimmel’s "ill-timed and insensitive" remarks, saying it stood by its decision pending assurance that all parties were committed to "respectful, constructive dialogue."

The late-night program will also be returning to Sinclair's ABC affiliates on Friday evening. Sinclair, which represents another grouping of ABC affiliates, said in a separate statement that it would end its preemption of the show, citing "thoughtful feedback from viewers, advertisers, and community leaders" and an obligation to air national network programming.

Sinclair’s statement also referenced "troubling acts of violence," including a shooting at an ABC affiliate station in Sacramento, emphasizing that these events "underscore why responsible broadcasting matters and why respectful dialogue between differing voices remains so important."

In its discussions with ABC, Sinclair had proposed measures such as a "network-wide independent ombudsman" to strengthen accountability. While noting that ABC and Disney had not adopted these specific proposals, Sinclair said it respects their right to make those decisions under the network affiliate agreements. Both Nexstar and Sinclair maintained that their programming decisions were independent of any government interaction or influence.

The return of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" to both station groups means the program will be broadly available to U.S. viewers. The show's return to the national ABC network earlier this week, despite the affiliates' preemption, drew a broadcast audience significantly above its average viewership.

The late night show continued to be available via streaming services during the broadcast blackout.