Disney, ABC sue US regulator over threats to broadcast licences
Disney and its ABC unit sued the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday to block an early review of licences for eight ABC stations, arguing the Trump administration is trying to punish the network over its broadcast content.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged broadcasters to drop comedy or news programmes he dislikes or that have been critical, pressing the FCC often to revoke ABC’s licences.
In a lawsuit filed in US District Court in Washington, Disney said the FCC was seeking to coerce and retaliate against “a network that refuses to bow to the administration’s demands”.
Disney and ABC asked the court to quickly issue a temporary restraining order halting the licence renewal proceedings and preventing the FCC from scheduling a hearing. The company said the public comment period ended earlier this month and the FCC could act at any time.
The lawsuit alleges the administration is violating the company’s First Amendment free speech rights.
“Again and again, the administration has attacked ABC’s speech — the stories its journalists report and the viewpoints its network programs air,” the lawsuit says.
FCC chair Brendan Carr, who did not immediately comment on Tuesday, ordered the reviews in April even though the stations’ licence renewals were not scheduled to be considered before October 2028. The FCC had not ordered an early review in more than 50 years before April.
The reviews were ordered a day after Trump urged ABC to fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
Broadcast stations need FCC licences to use public airwaves. While licence revocations are extremely rare, critics say the threat of losing a licence can pressure broadcasters and raise concerns about government interference in editorial and programming decisions. Networks have broad First Amendment protections over programming choices.
Trump called in November for the FCC to revoke ABC’s licences after he criticised an ABC News correspondent for asking Saudi Arabia’s crown prince about the 2018 killing of a Washington Post columnist in a question he described as “insubordinate”.
The FCC is also investigating ABC daytime talk show The View, which discusses US politics, after saying it may be subject to federal rules requiring broadcasters to provide equal opportunities to political candidates.