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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Business
Jeremy Barr in Washington

‘Open season’ on ABC as FCC moves up public comment process for renewals

An ABC logo on a green Art Deco building tower behind an ornate metal sculpture in the foreground
The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, on 2 June 2025. Photograph: Patrick T Fallon/AFP/Getty Images

Over the next few weeks, anyone in the US can plead their case that Disney’s ABC should not be permitted to renew its broadcast licenses for the eight local television stations they own.

After the Federal Communications Commission’s stunning decision in late April to force ABC to apply early to renew its licenses – a move widely seen as retaliation against critics of Donald Trump – the nation’s top media regulator opened up the pleading cycle process to critics and supporters until 29 June.

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