Jimmy Kimmel to return to Nexstar and Sinclair's ABC affiliates Friday

"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" will return to Nexstar and Sinclair's ABC affiliates Friday evening, the companies said. Why it matters: The move will bring the show back to the markets where it was blacked out for more than a week.What they're saying: Both Sinclair and Nexstar emphasized their original decision to stop airing the show was made independently and not due to government pressure."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 said in a statement."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."Nexstar said similar: "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.""We stand apart from cable television, monolithic streaming services, and national networks in our commitment – and obligation – to be stewards of the public airwaves and to protect and reflect the specific sensibilities of our communities."Zoom in: In its discussions with ABC, Sinclair said it "proposed measures to strengthen accountability, viewer feedback, and community dialogue, including a network-wide independent ombudsman.""While ABC and Disney have not yet adopted these measures, and Sinclair respects their right to make those decisions under our network affiliate agreements, we believe such measures could strengthen trust and accountability," it said.Nexstar said it appreciated Disney's "constructive approach to addressing our concerns."A person familiar with the discussions with both broadcasters told Axios that Disney did not make any editorial or content concessions.Affiliated stations typically have contractual obligations to run licensed programming, as well as limits on how much can be pre-empted.Catch up quick: Sinclair and Nexstar continued to preempt the late-night show this week, even after ABC brought back the program Tuesday.The show had been pulled after pressure from Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr, who slammed Kimmel for comments he made after Charlie Kirk's killing.Carr had warned ABC of potential repercussions and applauded Nexstar for being the first to preempt the show.Sinclair is exploring a possible divestiture of its local broadcast stations, while Nexstar is acquiring Tegna. Both transactions require regulatory approval.The big picture: The saga is the latest flash point over freedom of speech.Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) suggested Carr was behaving like a gangster and warned of the precedent this could set in the future "to silence every conservative in America."Kimmel, in his opening monologue as the show returned to air on Sept. 23, acknowledged Cruz's remarks: "And thanks for telling your followers that our government cannot be allowed to control what we do and do not say on television and that we have to stand up to it."Carr this week seemed to downplay his previous remarks suggesting that ABC taking action on Kimmel could be done "the easy way or the hard way," while Vice President JD Vance suggested the remarks were a joke.Of note: "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" drew more than 6 million viewers in its return to air Tuesday, despite Nexstar and Sinclair's continued preemption.Kimmel's opening monologue garnered more than 17 million viewers on YouTube in 24 hours. Editor's note: This story has been updated with Nexstar's decision.