Disney Challenges FCC Review of 8 ABC Licenses Amid New Regulatory Fight

Disney and its ABC-owned television stations have accused the Federal Communications Commission of using its licensing authority to pressure editorial content, escalating a dispute between the Trump administration and one of the country's largest broadcast networks over late-night host Jimmy Kimmel and broader allegations of political retaliation.

In filings submitted Thursday, the eight ABC stations targeted by the FCC objected to the agency's decision to force early reviews of their broadcast licenses, calling the move "unlawful, arbitrary and unconstitutional." The stations said they were complying "under protest" and argued the reviews violate First Amendment protections.

"This effort to suppress speech under the guise of bureaucratic process must not prevail," Disney said in one filing reported by Fortune. WABC in New York described the FCC action as "an extraordinary demonstration of power and coercion directed at disfavored editorial voices."

The FCC, chaired by Trump appointee Brendan Carr, said the accelerated reviews stem from an ongoing investigation into Disney's diversity practices and were not connected to recent political controversy surrounding Kimmel. The licenses had originally been scheduled for renewal between 2028 and 2031.

Carr said the company's responses to the FCC investigation had been "disingenuous, deficient, and improper," adding that broadcasters have "a unique obligation to operate in the public interest."

The dispute intensified after Kimmel joked during a sketch about first lady Melania Trump having "a glow like an expectant widow" shortly before a gunman opened fire near the White House Correspondents' Association dinner attended by the Trumps. President Donald Trump and the first lady both demanded that ABC remove Kimmel from the air.

Trump called the joke "far beyond the pale," while Melania Trump said Kimmel's comments were "hateful and violent rhetoric." White House communications director Steven Cheung later urged ABC to "fire him immediately."

The FCC's actions form part of a broader series of investigations into ABC under Carr, including probes into "The View," the network's handling of a 2024 presidential debate, and Disney's diversity initiatives. FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the agency's lone Democrat, has described the license reviews as "an egregious assault on the First Amendment" and "an unlawful assault on free speech and a free press."

ABC and Disney had initially taken a more conciliatory posture toward the administration, including agreeing to a $15 million defamation settlement with Trump before his return to office. But recent filings suggest the company is now mounting a more direct constitutional challenge to the FCC's actions.