The row between the Trump administration and ABC has reached a new legal threshold. The Federal Communications Commission issued an order directing Disney's eight owned-and-operated television stations to file their broadcast licence renewals ahead of schedule. The move has been described as an act of government overreach by press freedom advocates and the FCC's sole Democratic commissioner.
The licences were not due to come up for renewal until 2028 at the earliest, and the stations have 30 days to comply with the FCC's order. The move marks a significant escalation in the administration's ongoing pressure campaign against the Disney-owned network. The FCC's action, however, is not directly tied to host Jimmy Kimmel's recent monologue; a source told NBC News it stems from a year-long investigation into Disney's DEI practices, with the political fallout over Kimmel's comments accelerating the process.
