GoKawiilFCC asks court to dismiss Disney's lawsuit over ABC license review
The FCC filed a motion to dismiss Disney's lawsuit, defending its decision to launch an early review of the broadcast licenses held by ABC's eight owned stations. The agency argues the review concerns only alleged discrimination tied to Disney's diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, not Chairman Brendan Carr's public threats over Jimmy Kimmel jokes or The View's political content. Separately, two watchdog groups and individual ABC viewers are seeking to intervene in the case, fearing Disney could strike a settlement with the FCC that doesn't serve the public interest, a motion Disney itself opposes.
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The case tests whether a federal regulator can use license reviews as leverage against a broadcaster's editorial content, raising First Amendment concerns about government retaliation against speech critical of the president. If Disney settles quietly rather than fight, watchdogs worry it could set a precedent for networks capitulating to political pressure instead of defending press freedom in court.
- FCC moved to dismiss Disney's lawsuit over the ABC broadcast license review filed August 18
- Watchdog groups and ABC viewers want to intervene, fearing a non-public-interest settlement between Disney and the FCC
- FCC insists the review only concerns DEI-related discrimination claims, not Kimmel or The View controversies
Source: arstechnica.com, 2026-09-04
Published there as: “Trump admin fights ABC lawsuit as watchdogs worry Disney will settle with FCC”
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