Disney Sues FCC Over Alleged Retaliation Against ABC

The Walt Disney Company has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), alleging that the agency retaliated against ABC in violation of its First Amendment rights. The complaint centers on the FCC's decision to require Disney's eight ABC-owned broadcast stations to seek early renewal of their licenses, citing concerns over compliance with broadcasting obligations.

The move comes after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr defended the agency's actions against ABC, stating that broadcasters have a duty to 'operate in the public interest' and that the FCC is trying to restore this standard. Carr has also expressed his desire for a 'trusted, respected news media' in the country.

The dispute began in April when President Donald Trump called for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel to be fired after he made jokes about Melania Trump during a routine at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Two days later, a gunman shot a Secret Service agent outside the venue where the Trumps were attending the dinner.

Trump labeled the joke 'a despicable call to violence,' and said Kimmel should be 'immediately fired by Disney and ABC.' However, Kimmel responded that his jokes were about the 23-year age difference between Donald and Melania Trump, not an incitement to violence. The following day, the FCC ordered Disney to seek early license renewals for all eight of its ABC-owned television stations, years before they were scheduled to expire.