Disney’s lawyer says US seeks to censor, control ABC broadcasts

On Tuesday, a lawyer for Walt Disney asked a US judge to prevent the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from reviewing the licenses of eight ABC stations owned by the company. The lawyer, Beth Wilkinson, claimed that the administration of President Donald Trump is attempting to censor and penalize the company for airing content it disapproves of.

This lawsuit, filed in August, is seen as a crucial test for broadcasters' free speech rights under the First Amendment versus the administration's efforts to reshape the media landscape.

The lawsuit poses a significant challenge to the free speech rights of broadcasters under the US Constitution's First Amendment. Disney's lawyer expressed concern that the FCC's actions have chilled the company's editorial decisions, likening them to being under a guillotine during the French Revolution. Wilkinson explained that the company is closely monitoring its actions due to the administration's anger and retaliatory measures.

The FCC chair Brendan Carr initiated the early reviews of the ABC stations' licenses in April. The licenses for these eight stations, which include some of Disney's most profitable ones in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston, were not due to expire until 2028 to 2031. Carr has not yet made any decisions on how to proceed.

Dimitar Georgiev-Remmel, a lawyer for the administration, dismissed the guillotine analogy, stating that Disney would retain its ABC licenses through the administrative process and judicial review. The judge previously declined to block the FCC from issuing an order to refer the licenses for a public hearing, agreeing to provide at least 48 hours' notice to the court before moving ahead.

The hearing aimed to determine whether the judge should issue a preliminary injunction to block the FCC's action. The FCC's investigation into Disney's diversity practices began in March 2025, with the company submitting documents that the administration deemed insufficient. FCC chair Carr opened an investigation into the decision not to air a live broadcast of Trump's speech criticizing US election security.

Disney has noted that the station has not invited any political candidates to appear on its daytime talk show "The View" since February, citing the pressure from the FCC.