Disney-owned network says the early review of eight station licenses is retaliation over coverage, as the FCC cites a probe into Disney's diversity policies and weighs action after an Aug. 5 deadline.
Disney-owned ABC said the Federal Communications Commission is using an early review of the licenses for eight Disney-owned ABC stations as part of an unprecedented pressure campaign over broadcast content the Trump administration dislikes. In a filing, ABC said the move amounts to retaliation and warns other media companies that they could face consequences if they do not accommodate the administration’s preferred view of news coverage. FCC Chair Brendan Carr ordered the reviews in April even though the stations’ license renewals were not due to be considered until October 2028, marking the first early review of its kind in more than 50 years. Carr could decide whether to take action after a final comment deadline on Aug. 5. ABC said more than 150,000 comments have been filed and that over 95% support the stations, with local officials and groups in the eight states also backing them. The FCC has said the move grew out of a year-long investigation into whether Disney’s diversity policies amounted to unlawful discrimination, an allegation Disney denies. Carr opened that investigation in March 2025 and said the company’s document production was insufficient. The license reviews were ordered a day after Donald Trump urged ABC to fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. Trump has also repeatedly pushed regulators to revoke broadcasters’ licenses over programming he says is unfair, including a November demand targeting ABC after criticism of an ABC News correspondent’s question to Saudi Arabia’s crown prince. The FCC is also investigating ABC’s daytime talk show "The View" over whether it may be subject to equal-opportunities rules for political candidates.