Disney sues FCC and its chairman over alleged censorship campaign against ABC
Disney, ABC and eight ABC-owned stations have sued the FCC and Chairman Brendan Carr, accusing the agency of retaliating against ABC's journalism with threats to revoke broadcast licenses. The company is seeking a court order to halt the FCC's early license review proceeding.
Entertainment giant Disney, along with the ABC network and eight ABC-owned broadcast stations, has filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia against the Federal Communications Commission and its chairman, Brendan Carr. The complaint alleges the FCC violated the First Amendment by retaliating against ABC for the content its journalists report and the viewpoints its programs air.
Alongside the lawsuit, Disney filed a motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to halt the FCC's early license-renewal review of all eight ABC stations. Although those licenses aren't due for renewal until 2028–2031, Carr ordered the stations to file early — a day after President Trump and Melania Trump publicly called for ABC to fire host Jimmy Kimmel over a joke about the first lady.
The FCC has justified the review by citing possible violations of anti-discrimination rules tied to ABC's diversity, equity and inclusion practices. An FCC spokesperson accused Disney of spreading disinformation and said the agency would continue following the facts and the law.
The lawsuit lays out a timeline of prior pressure, including Trump's repeated calls to strip ABC of its licenses after the 2024 presidential debate, a White House statement calling ABC News a "Democrat spin operation," and an incident in which Trump publicly demanded ABC's license be revoked after a reporter questioned him about the Epstein files.
Disney says the pressure has already chilled editorial decisions at "The View," where no political candidate has appeared since February, when the FCC opened an inquiry into the show. The FCC has also demanded internal communications and employees' political donation records from several ABC programs.
FCC Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez, named as a defendant in the suit, publicly backed Disney, calling the FCC's actions a campaign of censorship and intimidation. The Freedom of the Press Foundation also praised the lawsuit. Disney argues the threat is especially damaging ahead of the midterm elections, as it could influence how ABC covers the campaign.
