Jimmy Kimmel on a recent episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

The Sinclair Broadcasting Group and Nexstar Media Group announced they will stop preempting "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on its ABC stations starting Friday evening, Sept. 26.

The broadcasting giants refused to air the first few episodes of the talk show's return despite Disney and ABC ending Jimmy Kimmel's suspension, following remarks the late-show host made about the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

In a Friday announcement, Nexstar said it has had discussions with Disney executives and appreciates their "constructive approach to addressing our concerns." The company said its decision were not influenced by government agencies or external individuals.

"As a local broadcaster, Nexstar remains committed to protecting the First Amendment while producing and airing local and national news that is fact-based and unbiased and, above all, broadcasting content that is in the best interest of the communities we serve," the company said.

Ahead of Nexstar's announcement, Sinclair said it would air the talk show after addressing feedback from viewers, advertisers and community leaders.

"Our objective throughout this process has been to ensure that programming remains accurate and engaging for the widest possible audience," Sinclair said in the announcement Friday. "We take seriously our responsibility as local broadcasters to provide programming that serves the interests of our communities, while also honoring our obligations to air national network programming."

Sinclair also said it has proposed measures that would "strengthen accountability, viewer feedback, and community dialogue" but that ABC and Disney has not yet adopted those measures.

No editorial or content concessions were made in Sinclair's decision, according to a source familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly.

The company also dismissed concerns that the ABC suspension and Sinclair's refusal to air the show was an example of the Trump administration infringing on freedom of speech.

"Our decision to preempt this program was independent of any government interaction or influence. Free speech provides broadcasters with the right to exercise judgment as to the content on their local stations," Sinclair added. "While we understand that not everyone will agree with our decisions about programming, it is simply inconsistent to champion free speech while demanding that broadcasters air specific content."

Jimmy Kimmel show suspended after Charlie Kirk comments

Disney and ABC's intial decision to suspend "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" indefintely followed outrage from both broadcasting giants and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr over the comedian's controversial comments surrounding the killing of Kirk on a Sept. 15 episode.

While Disney allowed the show to return on Sept. 23, in an episode where Kimmel addressed the suspension and his comments, both Sinclair and Nexstar declined to broadcast the show on its ABC affiliates.

On Sept. 17, Sinclair's vice chairman, Jason Smith, demanded an apology from Kimmel over his comments, which implied Kirk's alleged killer was a member of the MAGA movement.

The group also said it replace Kimmel's ABC timeslot on Sept. 19 with a remembrance special honoring Kirk before backpedaling and airing "Celebrity Family Feud" instead. The special was set to drop on YouTube instead, according to Sinclair.

When is the next new Jimmy Kimmel episode?

A new episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" is slated to air Friday night at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC.

This story has been updated to add new information.

Contributing: Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nexstar, Sinclair ABC stations to air Jimmy Kimmel show again

Reporting by Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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