Disney Sues Trump FCC Over Years-Early ABC Licence Reviews, Cites 'Existential Threat'

Disney and ABC have sued the Federal Communications Commission, accusing the Trump administration of using an unusually early review of broadcast licences to punish ABC over programming and coverage the president dislikes.

The Walt Disney Co. and ABC filed the lawsuit Tuesday in federal court in Washington, DC, seeking to block the FCC's early review of licences covering eight Disney-owned ABC television stations.

Those licences were not due for renewal until 2028 at the earliest. But in April, the FCC ordered Disney's owned-and-operated stations in major markets, including Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco, to file renewal applications ahead of schedule.

The FCC has not demanded such an early renewal in more than five decades, according to ABC's previous filings. Disney argues the move is not routine oversight, but unconstitutional retaliation.

'Acting through the Federal Communications Commission, the Administration has waged a retaliatory campaign against ABC for a single reason: it disapproves of what ABC broadcasts,' the lawsuit states.

The company is asking the court to block the FCC from continuing the early renewal proceedings or taking action against the stations while the case is heard. ABC also requested emergency relief, including a temporary restraining order.

'Existential Threat' to ABC Stations

In the complaint, Disney describes the FCC's move as an 'existential threat' to its broadcast stations. Attorneys Beth Wilkinson and Paul Clement argued that the commission forced the stations to prepare renewal applications 'years before' they would normally be due, while giving them only 30 days to complete filings that usually take months.

The lawsuit says the timing and scope of the order support its claim that the FCC is acting under political pressure from Trump and his allies.

The filing cites Trump's social media posts, including one in which he complained that late-night hosts were 'almost 100% Negative to President Donald J. Trump' and asked whether broadcast licences should 'be terminated'.

Kimmel, The View and Trump's Anger

The dispute follows months of tension between ABC and the Trump administration. The lawsuit points to criticism from Trump and the White House over ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, including controversy surrounding a joke about first lady Melania Trump.

Disney briefly pulled Kimmel off air in September 2025 after public pressure that included comments from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. Kimmel had also made comments about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and criticised Republican responses to it.

The April early-renewal order came one day after Trump publicly called for ABC to fire Kimmel following his joke about the first lady. The FCC has also examined ABC's The View, a daytime talk programme often criticised by Trump.

Disney and ABC have argued that The View qualifies as a legitimate news programme, citing an FCC staff ruling from 2002. Carr has questioned whether that older ruling still applies.

FCC Says Public Interest Is at Stake

The FCC says the accelerated reviews form part of an investigation into ABC's compliance with federal broadcasting rules, including its prohibition on unlawful discrimination.

Its April order said the agency had been investigating whether Disney's ABC stations engaged in prohibited practices involving hiring, promotion, compensation and other employment decisions.

Carr has previously rejected suggestions that his approach amounts to government censorship, arguing that broadcasters using public airwaves must operate in the public interest.

'If broadcasters don't like that, that's okay,' Carr told CNBC. 'They can become a cable channel, they can become a podcast, they can stream online.' The FCC and White House did not immediately comment on the lawsuit, according to Reuters.

Disney Says It Will Not Back Down

Anna Gomez, the FCC's lone Democratic commissioner, has criticised the early-renewal process and broader government pressure on broadcasters. Disney's newly installed CEO, Josh D'Amaro, also signalled last week that the company was ready for a fight.

'We're going to stand up to what we believe is journalistic integrity,' D'Amaro told CNBC. 'And we're not going to be told how to run that side of our business.'

The lawsuit now turns the fight between Trump's FCC and ABC into a major First Amendment dispute over the limits of the government's broadcast-licensing authority and whether that power can be used in retaliation for protected speech