The Walt Disney Co. and ABC filed a 45-page lawsuit Tuesday against the Federal Communications Commission in federal court in Washington, D.C., arguing the agency’s order forcing an early, expedited license review of eight ABC-owned television stations violates the First Amendment. The suit seeks a temporary restraining order to halt the review before it moves forward.
The stations weren’t due for renewal for years, with original dates spread between 2028 and 2031. Disney’s lawsuit argues the early review is retaliation after ABC’s late-night and talk programming repeatedly criticized the Trump administration.
DEI Investigation or Political Pressure?
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has defended the review by saying he’s concerned Disney’s diversity, equity, and inclusion practices “may violate FCC prohibitions on invidious forms of discrimination.” Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro pushed back on CNBC last week: “We’re not going to be told how to run that side of our business,” he said, adding that the company would “stand up to what we believe is journalistic integrity.”
The lawsuit itself points to a chilling effect already underway. According to the complaint, ABC’s “The View” has become “more circumspect” about booking political candidates and has passed on guests and clips out of concern they could trigger equal-time rule complaints. No political candidate has appeared on the show since February 2, per the filing, a shift that traces back to a separate FCC inquiry into the show that Carr has confirmed is active.
Disney is arguing that regulatory pressure doesn’t need to result in an actual license revocation to work. The mere threat of a license review, tied explicitly to a network’s editorial choices, is enough to change what gets aired.
🎥 The First Amendment Showdown:
What do you think? Is this a legitimate DEI investigation, or retaliation dressed up as regulation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments on BeezLoop.com!
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