The Walt Disney Company and ABC filed a federal lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday, accusing the regulatory agency of conducting a politically motivated campaign to review the broadcast licenses of eight network stations, according to Al Jazeera and CBS News. The complaint, submitted to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, seeks to immediately block an accelerated license renewal process ordered by the regulator.
In the 45-page filing, the entertainment conglomerate argued that the administration of President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked ABC`s editorial output and is using regulatory mechanisms to retaliate against protected journalistic coverage and programming. The order, issued in April, instructed eight ABC owned-and-operated stations across major markets, including New York and Los Angeles, to submit renewal applications years before their statutory expiration dates, which range from 2028 to 2031.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has maintained that the review was initiated to evaluate corporate diversity and employment practices, alongside inquiries related to daytime programming. However, the lawsuit highlights multiple prior public statements and social media posts by political officials suggesting the network should face license revocations over its coverage decisions.
What remains unclear is whether the federal court will grant a temporary restraining order before the accelerated administrative filings take effect.
Free speech and press advocacy organizations expressed support for the legal challenge, characterizing the regulator`s unprecedented accelerated demands as an improper exertion of regulatory leverage against independent reporting. Following the announcement of the legal filing in Washington, Disney shares rose by 1.1 percent during morning trading.
