In 2004, WSYX (along with other ABC affiliates owned by Sinclair, including sister stations WKEF in Dayton had recently switched back to ABC from NBC as well as WCHS-TV which includes parts of Southern Ohio in its viewing area) preempted the special showing of "Saving Private Ryan" in late 2004 due to concerns that the FCC would impose a fine on them if they had aired the World War II-set movie due to the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy earlier that year. As ABC affiliates owned by the E. W. Scripps Company also preempted the film (including WEWS-TV in Cleveland and WCPO-TV in Cincinnati), only viewers in the far eastern (WYTV) and northwestern (then-ABC O&O WTVG in Toledo) parts of Ohio were able to view the film. It was later determined that the movie's broadcast was not a violation of FCC regulations.