Disney, ABC sue US regulator to block early license renewal process

Disney and ABC sued the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Tuesday to halt an early license renewal process, arguing that the administration of President Donald Trump is attacking the network because of its broadcast content.

In April, the FCC ordered Disney’s eight owned-and-operated TV stations to file broadcast license renewals early. The order came amid an investigation into ABC’s “The View” and Disney’s diversity, equity and inclusion practices.

The eight stations affected by the FCC order are part of Tuesday’s lawsuit, according to NBC News.

The FCC’s move followed pushback from the White House and President Donald Trump for ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s joke about first lady Melania Trump.

The lawsuit cites Trump’s social media posts, including one saying late-night hosts “are almost 100% Negative to President Donald J. Trump” and questioning whether broadcast licenses should “be terminated?”

“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,” said the suit. “That campaign began in this Administration’s earliest days and has only intensified since.”

In September 2025, Disney briefly pulled Kimmel from the air following pressure from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. Kimmel had commented on the motivations of the man authorities said fatally shot conservative activist Charlie Kirk and criticized Republicans’ response to the killing.

Disney called the FCC action an “existential threat.”

“The Commission issued an unprecedented order requiring the Stations to file early applications to renew their licenses—years before any of their licenses would have come up for renewal in the ordinary course and allowing only thirty days to file applications which ordinarily take months to prepare,” attorneys Beth Wilkinson and Paul Clement wrote in the complaint.

The lawsuit asked the DC District Court to “immediately” stop the FCC “from taking or threatening to take any action” against Disney and its ABC stations regarding the early renewal applications.