The Walt Disney-owned network filed formal opposition Thursday, calling the agency's early license review a warning to all media companies
ABC filed formal opposition Thursday to the Federal Communications Commission's early license review of eight Disney $DIS-owned stations, accusing the Trump administration agency of targeting the network over content and viewpoints it dislikes, according to Reuters.
"The retaliation against ABC is a signal to every media company in the country: accommodate the administration's view of what news coverage should look like or pay the price," ABC said in the filing, adding that the agency's objective is "a media industry too fearful of official reprisal to report the news freely."
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr ordered the early reviews in April, pulling forward a process that would not otherwise have begun until October 2028 at the earliest. The agency said the move stemmed from a year-long investigation into whether Disney's diversity policies amounted to unlawful discrimination — an allegation Disney denies. Prior to April, the agency had gone more than half a century without triggering such an early review.
ABC said the timing and nature of the review make the agency's true motive clear. "From its earliest days, this administration has made clear its intent to punish ABC for its news coverage and to create a chilling effect on ABC and others," the filing said. Carr's order followed by a single day President Donald Trump's public demand that ABC dismiss late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
The proceeding has attracted more than 150,000 public comments, ABC said, with the network reporting that upward of 95% of those submissions favor the stations. Local officials and organizations across the eight affected states have also filed in support. A final comment deadline falls on August 5, after which Carr could decide to take action.
The license review is one of two FCC proceedings targeting Disney properties. The agency is also investigating ABC's daytime talk show "The View," which it says may be subject to federal equal-opportunity rules requiring broadcasters to provide equal time to political candidates.
The dispute has drawn scrutiny from across the regulatory community. A bipartisan group of former FCC chairs, commissioners, and senior staff filed with the agency this week urging current leadership to end the license proceeding, calling it "an unprecedented" action and "a grave violation of both the Communications Act and the Constitution." The former officials, who served under both Republican and Democratic presidents, described the review as "an assault on free speech disguised as regulatory process."
Disney had submitted renewal applications for the eight stations under protest in May, describing the FCC's order as "unlawful, arbitrary, and unconstitutional" and accusing the agency of "unconstitutional retaliation and coercion." The eight stations span major markets including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia.
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