Disney's ABC sues FCC, alleges Trump administration retaliatory license threats over editorial content

Published Aug 24, 06:36 PM UTC

Disney's ABC television stations have filed a pre-emptive lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to block the agency's accelerated review of ABC's broadcast licenses, which could lead to revocation. The lawsuit alleges the Trump administration is waging a retaliatory campaign against ABC because it disapproves of the network's editorial content, including its decision not to air a Trump prime-time address. Disney cites First Amendment protections and details intimidation tactics, including the suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. The article notes the irony that decades of Republican-led deregulation have diminished the government's ability to take such action. Historically, FCC license revocations are extremely rare, with only a few cases in the 1960s-1980s involving racial discrimination or corporate misconduct. The case underscores a fraught regulatory environment for major media companies under the second Trump administration.