Overview

• Both major affiliate groups said the show returns to their stations Friday night, ending local preemptions that had sidelined the program in dozens of markets representing roughly a quarter of ABC’s footprint.
• ABC/Disney had already reinstated Kimmel earlier in the week, with Friday’s Sinclair airing set as a rerun of Tuesday’s return episode as new episodes resume next week.
• Sinclair and Nexstar stressed their programming choices were independent of government influence after FCC Chair Brendan Carr’s public warnings intensified scrutiny of the dispute.
• Sinclair proposed accountability steps in discussions with ABC, including a network-wide independent ombudsman, but Disney has not adopted those measures as talks continue.
• Kimmel’s first night back drew about 6.3 million TV viewers and tens of millions of social views, while affiliates also cited a Sacramento station shooting as a factor underscoring safety and responsible broadcasting.