Disney & ABC Sue FCC Over 'Existential Threat' License Renewal
The Walt Disney Company and ABC have filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), seeking to halt an early license renewal process that they claim is an attack by the Trump administration.
The FCC ordered Disney's eight owned-and-operated television stations to file their broadcast license renewals ahead of schedule in April, amidst a probe into ABC's 'The View' program and a long-running investigation into diversity, equity, and inclusion practices at Disney.
Disney describes the FCC action as an 'existential threat,' saying that the order requires stations to file applications years before their licenses would normally come up for renewal and allows only thirty days to prepare, which is typically months' worth of work.
Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro stated that the company will stand up to what it believes is journalistic integrity and not be told how to run its business.