Corrects story link in paragraph 6
Sinclair ABC stations represent about 14% of US households
Markets to which Kimmel's show will resume broadcasts include Washington, Seattle and St. Louis
Broadcast group could have faced penalties for indefinite suspension of show
Sinclair wants Disney and ABC to consider ombudsman to handle programming complaints
By David Shepardson
Sept 26 (Reuters) - Sinclair Broadcast Group SBGI.O said on Friday it will end its preemption of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and the show will return in the evening on Sinclair’s nearly 40 ABC-affiliated stations.
Sinclair is one of two major broadcast owners that had not agreed to resume airing the show this week after Disney DIS.N lifted a nearly week-long suspension.
It had faced pressure from some lawmakers over the decision to not air the program. Sinclair's ABC stations represent about 14% of U.S. households and include the markets Washington, D.C.; Seattle; Little Rock, Arkansas; Portland, Oregon; St. Louis, Traverse City, Michigan and Lincoln, Nebraska.
Nexstar Media Group NXST.O has opted to keep Kimmel off the air on its 32 owned-and-operated ABC stations, which account for about 9% of U.S. households. Nexstar needs FCC approval for a $6.2 billion merger with Tegna TGNA.N.
Typically, local broadcasters' agreements with networks for affiliation allow for some ability to preempt programming, but they could face penalties or potential renegotiation of their underlying contract for an indefinite suspension.
SINCLAIR PROPOSALS TO ABC
ABC suspended Kimmel's show on September 17 over comments he made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Hours before the suspension, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr warned that local broadcasters who aired Kimmel could face fines or loss of licenses and said "it's time for them to step up."
Disney and Carr did not immediately comment on Sinclair's decision. Nexstar also did not immediately comment.
Sinclair said it had proposed measures to ABC to strengthen accountability, viewer feedback, and community dialogue, including a network-wide independent ombudsman, but added ABC and Disney have not yet adopted these measures.
A person familiar with the matter said Disney made no editorial or content concessions to Sinclair for the show's return.
As part of a deal approved by the FCC in July, Skydance PSKY.O agreed to have an ombudsman in place for at least two years to evaluate complaints about bias in CBS News programming as part of its acquisition of Paramount.
A number of Republicans have criticized the FCC's pressure on broadcasters.
"This isn't an area that I think the FCC ought to be wandering into," Senate Majority Leader John Thune told CNN this week.
Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell had urged Sinclair to return Kimmel to the air in Seattle on its KOMO-TV affiliate to 5 million households given his popularity in the market.
Kimmel, who usually broadcasts from Los Angeles, is taking "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" to Brooklyn, New York, for a week of shows starting on Monday.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese and Bill Berkrot)
((David.Shepardson@thomsonreuters.com; 2028988324;))