U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan rejected Disney’s request for an urgent hearing on its lawsuit seeking to block the Federal Communications Commission’s early review of licenses for the entertainment company’s eight company-owned ABC stations. The judge set September 24 deadlines for legal filings and scheduled a hearing for early October. The FCC agreed to give Disney at least 48 hours’ notice before issuing any order referring the licenses for a hearing; if such an order is issued, the parties must appear in court the following day to argue whether a temporary restraining order is warranted. FCC Chair Brendan Carr said he has not decided whether to refer the licenses. The dispute follows President Donald Trump’s calls for ABC stations to lose their licenses and raises questions about broadcasters’ free speech rights.