Disney Asks FCC to Drop Investigation Into ABC License
Miles Bennett
Disney filed with the FCC on July 29 demanding it end the early review of eight ABC station licenses, calling the probe political retaliation; the outcome will test the boundary between broadcast regulation and press freedom in the U.S.
What is the FCC actually investigating?
In April, the FCC launched what the industry calls an unprecedented move: an early review of broadcast licenses for eight ABC-owned TV stations, citing Disney's diversity hiring practices as potential "illegal discrimination."
This means → the FCC did not wait for the normal license-renewal cycle — it initiated a review on its own, something with almost no precedent in U.S. broadcast regulation.
Bloomberg reported the FCC could refer the case to a hearing as soon as next month — the next step toward a potential license revocation.
How is Disney fighting back?
Disney filed a formal petition on July 29 asking the FCC to terminate the entire review, calling it political retaliation.
Company lawyers wrote that the early review is "merely the latest in the Commission's ongoing campaign of retaliation against ABC and its parent company Disney."
ABC went further, describing the FCC's threat as an "unprecedented campaign of intimidation" aimed at broadcast content the Trump administration dislikes.
Where does the public stand?
Disney disclosed that more than 150,000 public comments have been submitted to the FCC, with the majority supporting the company's right to keep its licenses.
Supporters include police, firefighters, charities, businesses, and schools from the communities each station serves.
In plain terms = the comments span the political spectrum, but they share one position: opposing the use of license review to pressure the press.
How deep does the Disney–Trump friction run?
Trump has clashed publicly with ABC for years. In 2024, Disney agreed to pay $16 million to settle a defamation lawsuit Trump brought against ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos.
Trump and his appointed FCC chair, Brendan Carr, have also called on ABC to fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
The FCC is separately considering whether ABC's morning talk show *The View* should be classified as non-news programming — a ruling that would require the show to offer equal airtime to political candidates.
This reflects a pattern: the license review is not an isolated action but the heaviest in a series of regulatory moves targeting ABC's content.
What does this mean for Disney and the broader industry?
Disney's ABC stations cover major markets including WABC in New York and KABC in Los Angeles — a threat to these licenses strikes at the core of the company's broadcast business.
Whether the case can be terminated before it reaches a formal hearing is the key uncertainty for Disney's broadcast unit.
This means → if the FCC pushes the case to a hearing, it will become a landmark test of whether the U.S. government can use license reviews to pressure mainstream media — with implications far beyond Disney alone.
Content is for reference only, not financial advice.