ABC challenges FCC over broadcast license threats

ABC and its parent company, Disney, have sued the Federal Communications Commission, accusing the agency of threatening the network’s First Amendment rights.

The suit, filed Tuesday, claims that the agency is illegally retaliating against the company over coverage that President Trump and his administration have attempted to suppress.

It alleges a broader effort by the FCC to control the network and its editorial content through regulatory pressure.

The development follows the agency’s request a few months ago that Disney renew several station licenses early, citing concerns about ABC’s diversity and inclusion practices.

ABC, however, argues that the move is part of a broader campaign against its coverage and programming, particularly after late-night host Jimmy Kimmel made comments about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, who President Donald Trump appointed, briefly managed to get Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air.

The network says the FCC has repeatedly pressured ABC over content and has even raised the possibility of taking away its broadcast licenses. It argues that such threats could discourage other media companies from criticizing the administration.

Following the Jimmy Kimmel incident, Trump threatened to revoke the licenses of networks critical of him and pressed NBC to cancel the late-night shows of Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.

The lawsuit also involves The View, which Carr has pushed to examine under federal equal-time rules. ABC maintains that the show qualifies as a news program and is exempt.

“Equal opportunities” rule mandates equal airtime for competing political candidates on most non-news broadcasts.

The FCC rejected ABC’s claims, saying broadcasters must serve the public interest. In a statement yesterday, it also accused Disney of engaging in an ongoing “campaign of disinformation.”

The case could set important limits on how regulators oversee broadcasters while protecting freedom of the press.

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the commission’s lone Democrat, backed ABC’s lawsuit and accused the agency of using license threats to punish speech.