Walt Disney and its ABC unit filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Washington on Tuesday, seeking to block the Federal Communications Commission from conducting early reviews of broadcast licenses for eight ABC stations.
The legal action targets an FCC order issued in April that initiated a year-long investigation into whether Disney's diversity policies constituted unlawful discrimination—a claim the company denies. Disney alleges the FCC's actions represent an "extraordinary assault on free speech" and an attempt to coerce compliance with administration demands regarding programming and editorial decisions.
The lawsuit follows a public comment period that concluded earlier this month and seeks a temporary restraining order to halt renewal proceedings for the stations' licenses, which were originally scheduled for consideration in October 2028. The FCC has not ordered an early license review in more than 50 years prior to the April directive.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr stated the agency has made no final decisions on revocation but emphasized that decisions will be based on "the facts and the law." Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez accused the commission of conducting a "campaign of censorship" against ABC stations, using license revocation threats to punish speech disfavored by the administration.
The legal dispute coincides with broader tensions between the Trump administration and media outlets. In November 2018, President Donald Trump called for ABC to fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel after an ABC News correspondent questioned Saudi Arabia's crown prince about the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. The FCC also initiated an investigation into ABC's daytime talk show "The View" over potential violations of federal rules requiring equal political candidate opportunities, though the program has not invited candidates since February.
Disney's stock fell 2.41% to $104.27 on Monday, reflecting broader market conditions unrelated to the lawsuit.
