Disney vs. FCC: Commission Seeks to Block Early Review of ABC Station Licenses
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has asked a federal judge to dismiss Disney's lawsuit over station licenses. The lawsuit, filed by Disney against the FCC, seeks to block the agency's early review of licenses for the entertainment giant's eight company-owned ABC stations.
The FCC claims that if Disney were successful in blocking the review, it would prevent the commission from analyzing evidence related to its ongoing investigation into allegations that Disney has engaged in unlawful discrimination. The FCC Chair, Brendan Carr, ordered the early reviews in April, even though the stations' license renewals are not scheduled until October 2028.
The case is a test of free speech rights for broadcasters and has been influenced by President Donald Trump's repeated calls for ABC to lose its licenses over programming he dislikes. Trump has also called on the FCC to strip stations of licenses after criticizing news and other programming.