Disney sues FCC over challenge to broadcast licenses, claiming retaliation over ‘Jimmy Kimmel’
WASHINGTON (AP) — Disney filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission alleging a violation of its First Amendment rights. The suit comes after FCC…
In a legal battle, Disney has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration's Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over what the media giant claims is a violation of its First Amendment rights. This comes after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr defended the agency's actions against ABC, stating that broadcasters have a duty to "operate in the public interest" and that the FCC is attempting to restore that standard.
The issue arose when ABC accused the FCC of trying to chill its constitutionally protected free speech. ABC's comments came after the network expressed its formal opposition to the FCC's early review of eight ABC local broadcast licenses, which was launched in April and aimed at licenses before they expired. The FCC's review was prompted by a fight with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel over a joke that offended President Donald Trump.
President Trump has frequently called for Kimmel to be fired. The FCC's early review of ABC's licenses was launched amid this dispute, and the agency cited the company's diversity, equity, and inclusion practices as part of its reasoning. However, Disney maintains that the FCC's actions are an attempt to suppress free speech, claiming that it is a direct violation of its First Amendment rights.
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