The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is targeting Disney-owned ABC through an early review of all its broadcast licenses. This action establishes a concerning precedent and seems designed to placate President Donald Trump after his frequent criticisms of the network. As the agency collects public feedback until July 29, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has voiced serious concerns about this unprecedented review, calling on Americans to emphasize to the FCC that broadcast licenses should never be weaponized to punish independent journalism.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr mandated an early examination of ABC’s licenses for eight local television stations: WABC-TV New York, KABC-TV Los Angeles, WLS-TV Chicago, WPVI-TV Philadelphia, KTRK-TV Houston, KGO-TV San Francisco, WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durham, and KFSN-TV Fresno. This directive came despite these licenses not being scheduled for renewal until 2028 or later. The move establishes a troubling deviation from the Commission’s established licensing protocols and occurs amidst ongoing friction between the network and the Trump administration. ABC stations have labeled the review “unlawful, arbitrary, and unconstitutional.”
This review was initiated soon after a series of incidents sparked fears of political retribution. After late-night host Jimmy Kimmel made a joke at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, First Lady Melania Trump publicly denounced the segment, with President Trump reiterating her complaints. Within days, FCC Chair Brendan Carr directed an early review of Disney-owned ABC’s broadcast licenses, referencing the agency’s existing DEI investigation. The peculiar timing led to suspicions that the review served as a means to exert pressure on a broadcaster after criticisms directed at the president and his family.
“ABC has faced persistent attacks since the start of Trump’s second term. Carr’s FCC is battering the broadcaster with unfounded investigations in an attempt to chill speech that the president and his administration don’t like. But news outlets must be able to report and broadcast freely, without fear of a vindictive bureaucrat stripping their licenses away because a president complains about them on his social media feed. ABC is exercising its legitimate right to fight back against these unconstitutional and ridiculous attacks by refusing to give in, and other news outlets should follow suit to protect the US media ecosystem.”
The political pressure on ABC has intensified. Shortly after Trump assumed office, Carr reinstated previously dismissed licensing complaints against three major U.S. television broadcasters, including ABC, concerning their 2024 election coverage. Concurrently, he chose not to reinstate a similar complaint against Fox News, an outlet favored by Trump. Carr also initiated an investigation into Disney and ABC’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and practices, a move FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez described as “illegitimate and a pretext,” according to Reuters. Furthermore, in September, ABC removed late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel from the air following pressure from both the FCC and Trump, who has a history of criticizing Kimmel.
ABC is also in contention with the FCC as the regulatory body re-evaluates whether the morning talk show, “The View,” falls under equal time provisions for political candidates. The FCC had previously ruled that the program qualified as a “bona fide” news show, thus exempting it from these regulations. Carr is now overturning that established precedent, a decision that could substantially alter the operational framework for programs such as “The View.” The FCC garnered over 78,000 comments regarding the talk show’s situation after ABC encouraged viewers to submit feedback supporting the broadcaster against regulatory pressure.
The FCC is currently accepting public comments on ABC’s early license renewal applications, with a deadline of July 29. Already, more than 100,000 comments have been submitted concerning this matter.
