Disney just sued the Trump administration over an ‘unprecedented’ move against ABC

A major entertainment conglomerate is taking legal action against the Trump administration over what it calls an "unprecedented" move against its broadcast arm. Disney and ABC have filed a federal lawsuit alleging the administration employed its regulatory power to punish the network for political disagreements. The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, seeks court intervention after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ordered ABC to file early for license renewals for its eight local television stations.

Despite the licenses not being due for renewal until late 2028, the FCC requested a review of the stations' licenses in April. "The Commission has demanded a review of the Stations' licenses extraordinarily early," the lawsuit states, suggesting the FCC's actions are meant to coerce and retaliate against ABC, which has refused to follow the Administration's directives.

The early renewal request came from FCC Chair Brendan Carr, known for his willingness to pursue political disputes through the federal agency. While the FCC claims it is reviewing ABC's broadcast license due to concerns over the company's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices, the lawsuit asserts the review was announced shortly after President Trump called for ABC's Jimmy Kimmel to be "immediately fired" following a joke about Melania Trump.

The FCC is also investigating ABC's talk show "The View" over claims that the programming violates rules requiring equal broadcast time for all political candidates. If the FCC proceeds with a hearing rather than approving the renewal request, Disney and ABC fear they could lose their broadcast licenses. The lawsuit emphasizes Disney and ABC's belief that they could face license revocation if the FCC decides to hold a hearing instead of granting the renewal request.

Last month, a bipartisan group of former FCC officials warned that the FCC's early renewal request was an "unprecedented" attempt to chill broadcasters. The group contended that the FCC's action "violates both the Communications Act and the Constitution" and sends a chilling message to all broadcasters that carrying speech the FCC doesn't like comes with consequences.

Conservative groups have also petitioned the FCC to revoke ABC's license, accusing the network of having a "consistent and overt partisan bias." Meanwhile, federal antitrust enforcers, including the FCC, facilitated a major merger between Warner Bros. and Paramount Skydance, a deal that significantly altered CBS News to align with the preferences of its new owner, David Ellison, the son of billionaire Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison.