FCC Chair Targets Disney Broadcast Licenses in Escalating Regulatory Clash

The Federal Communications Commission has ordered Disney to submit renewal applications for eight ABC television stations more than two years ahead of schedule, a move that threatens the company’s ability to hold broadcast licenses in major markets including New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

The directive, issued Tuesday, came just days after President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump called for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel to be removed from the air over a joke made before the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.

The regulatory action does not reference the Kimmel controversy directly. Instead, the FCC’s order points to what it describes as “possible violations of the Communications Act of 1934 and the FCC’s rules, including the agency’s prohibition on unlawful discrimination.” The filing nods to long-running complaints by FCC Chair Brendan Carr about Disney’s diversity, equity and inclusion policies, which he has criticized since taking the gavel in early 2025.

The commission has given Disney until May 28 to submit the renewal filings. The review process could stretch for years and eventually land before an in-house FCC judge, with further court challenges possible. Losing the licenses would deprive Disney of broadcast rights in some of the most lucrative television markets in the country, though the company would have opportunities to fight any adverse ruling through the courts.

A Disney spokesperson said the company’s stations have a history of serving local communities while abiding by FCC rules. “We are confident that record demonstrates our continued qualifications as licensees under the Communications Act and the First Amendment and are prepared to show that through the appropriate legal channels,” the spokesperson said. “Our focus remains, as always, on serving viewers in the local communities where our stations operate.”

Carr has previously threatened broadcasters with fines and license revocations after Kimmel made comments last fall that some viewed as misleading about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The chair has also opened an investigation into ABC’s “The View” for failing to comply with new guidance requiring broadcasters to provide “equal time” to political candidates.

First Amendment Concerns

The FCC has broad legal authority to consider a licensee’s character and whether it operates in the public interest. But policy veterans worry that Carr is violating the First Amendment by using government power to punish speech disfavored by the president. The commission’s order gives it wide latitude to examine Disney’s programming decisions, including shows such as “The View” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

Monday’s call by the president and first lady for Kimmel’s removal stemmed from a joke the comedian made on his show two days before the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, which was stormed by a gunman charged with attempting to assassinate the president. Kimmel referred to the first lady as an “expectant widow,” a remark he later said was made in the context of a comedy sketch. The White House has not commented on the FCC’s regulatory action against Disney.