Disney, ABC Sue FCC Over Early License Renewals

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, August 18, 2026 | 2:42pm CT

ABC

The Walt Disney Co. and ABC have filed a federal lawsuit against the FCC seeking to halt an accelerated license renewal process for eight ABC-owned television stations, alleging the agency is using its regulatory authority to retaliate against the network over its programming and editorial decisions.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, asks for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction preventing the FCC from proceeding with the early renewals. The stations' licenses ordinarily would not begin coming up for renewal until 2028, but the Commission ordered all eight stations to submit applications years ahead of schedule.

ABC contends the action is part of what it calls a "retaliatory campaign" by the Trump administration because of disagreement with the network's programming. The complaint points to government criticism of ABC programs including "The View" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" as well as the network's decision not to broadcast President Donald Trump's July 16 primetime address on its television network.

The FCC has separately examined whether "The View" qualifies as a bona fide news program for purposes of the agency's political equal-opportunities rules. The proceeding followed an appearance by James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas. ABC maintains that treating the program differently would reverse decades of FCC precedent.

According to the lawsuit, ABC has responded to more than 600 FCC requests and produced more than 13,000 pages of documents during the agency's investigations. The network argues that the underlying target is not its employment practices or individual programming decisions, but the content of its broadcasts.

An FCC spokesperson defended the agency's actions, saying broadcasters have a legal obligation to operate in the public interest and that the Commission has been examining allegations that Disney engaged in illegal DEI discrimination for more than a year.

"Disney is obviously very concerned about the FCC's proceeding," the spokesperson said, adding that the Commission "will continue to follow the facts and law wherever they lead."

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the Commission's lone Democrat, supported the legal challenge, saying she has urged companies to push back against what she characterized as government intimidation and overreach.

"For months, the FCC has waged a campaign of censorship and control against Disney's ABC stations, using the threat of broadcast license revocations to punish a company for speech this administration doesn't like. I have long called on companies to push back against this kind of government intimidation, and I'm glad Disney has shown courage and stepped up. This should be a welcome sign for every broadcaster who has felt the weight of this overreaching government pressure in silence," wrote Gomez in a statement.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has previously rejected claims that the early renewals amount to retaliation. Carr has said broadcasters using the public airwaves must comply with public-interest obligations and has questioned whether "The View" continues to qualify for the news-program exemption based on a 2002 FCC staff decision.

The lawsuit asks the court to immediately prevent the FCC from taking or threatening action against the eight stations in connection with the accelerated renewal proceedings. ABC argues that allowing the process to continue could subject the stations to prolonged and costly proceedings or potentially threaten their ability to remain on the air.