Disney Sues FCC Over Early License Renewal Process
The Walt Disney Company and ABC have filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to stop an early license renewal process that they claim is an attack on free speech by the Trump administration.
The lawsuit, one of the most muscular legal challenges a media corporation has mounted against the second Trump administration, seeks to halt the FCC's directive for Disney's eight owned-and-operated television stations to file their broadcast license renewals ahead of schedule.
The directive came amid a probe into ABC's 'The View' program and a long-running investigation into diversity, equity, and inclusion practices at Disney. The licenses were not due to come up for renewal until 2028 at the earliest.
Disney owns and operates TV stations in markets such as Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. The move from the FCC also came after President Donald Trump assailed ABC late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel for a joke about First Lady Melania Trump.