Disney Sues FCC Over Alleged Retaliation After Trump Calls for Kimmel's Firing
The Walt Disney Company has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) alleging retaliation against ABC in violation of its First Amendment rights.
The complaint centers around the FCC's decision to require eight ABC-owned broadcast stations to seek early renewal of their licenses. This comes after President Donald Trump called for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel's firing following a joke about Melania Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in April. Two days later, a gunman shot a Secret Service agent outside the venue.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr defended the agency's actions, stating that broadcasters have a duty to 'operate in the public interest' and that the FCC is trying to restore that standard. He also expressed concern that the country does not have a 'trusted, respected news media.'