In brief
Disney and ABC have filed a lawsuit against the FCC, challenging an early licence renewal that the Trump administration is urging the regulator to accept. The network argues the move is a retaliatory tactic aimed at penalizing ABC for its coverage of President Trump and his administration. The parties claim the FCC has never demanded an early renewal for a single network’s stations in more than five decades. The lawsuit cites Trump’s own social media complaints that ABC’s coverage is overly negative and suggests terminating the licences. Disney and ABC seek a speedy court hearing and a temporary restraining order.
Disney and ABC have filed a lawsuit against the federal Communications Commission (FCC) to stop an early licence renewal that the Trump administration is pressing the regulator to carry out.
The companies claim the renewal order is a retaliatory act aimed at penalising them for the way ABC has reported on President Trump.
The lawsuit, lodged on Tuesday, argues that the FCC “has never in over 50 years demanded an early renewal” for a group of stations owned by a single network. It cites Trump’s own social‑media posts that described ABC’s coverage as "almost 100% negative" and suggested the licences could be terminated.
FCC chairman Brendan Carr said the request was motivated by "public interest", a statement that Disney director’s attorneys say is a thin excuse for a politically‑charged censorship.
Background: Disney owns ABC’s eight owned‑and‑operated (O&O) stations and faced scrutiny over alleged DEI practices. The dispute was foreshadowed by a Jimmy Kimmel joke about First Lady Melania Trump that came a day before the FCC’s early‑renewal notice.
In response to the lawsuit, Disney and ABC are seeking a speedy court hearing and a temporary restraining order to halt the commission’s actions.
