Disney and ABC have filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and its chairman, alleging the Trump administration is engaging in censorship and retaliation by attempting to force an early renewal of broadcast licenses. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, contends that the FCC is being pressured to renew licenses years ahead of schedule, a move the media companies describe as unprecedented and politically motivated.
The complaint states that the administration, acting through the FCC, is pursuing this action because it "disapproves of what ABC broadcasts." The lawsuit cites President Donald Trump's own social media posts as evidence, including one where he expressed frustration with ABC's coverage and questioned whether their broadcast licenses should be terminated, to which he answered, "Yes!"
Plaintiffs in the suit are Disney and its eight owned-and-operated TV stations. The FCC ordered license renewals for these ABC stations in April. According to the lawsuit, the commission had not called for early license renewals in over 50 years prior to this instance, and has never before demanded early renewal applications from a group of stations commonly owned by a single broadcast network.
This action follows a period of scrutiny for ABC, including investigations into its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices and its daytime talk show, "The View." The FCC's notice for early renewal came shortly after ABC's late-night host Jimmy Kimmel made a joke about first lady Melania Trump.
The lawsuit also references an incident in September 2025 where, under pressure from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, Disney temporarily removed Kimmel from air after he made remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk. However, Kimmel was quickly reinstated after facing public backlash and criticism over alleged free speech violations, including from Republican Senator Ted Cruz.
The FCC has given ABC and Disney 30 days to file renewal applications, a process the plaintiffs argue ordinarily takes months to prepare. Disney and ABC are seeking a speedy hearing and a temporary restraining order to halt the early renewal process.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has previously stated that the renewal requests are focused on the "public interest," not retaliation. He has also indicated that broadcasters have other avenues, such as becoming cable channels or streaming online, if they do not wish to comply with obligations for using public airwaves.