Disney and ABC sue FCC over early license renewals, alleging “a retaliatory campaign”

The Walt Disney Company, ABC and their television stations sued the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday, alleging the agency’s request to file for early license renewal violates their First Amendment rights and amounts to “a retaliatory campaign.”

The ABC licenses were originally scheduled for renewal between 2028 and 2031.

The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Washington, D.C., seeks to halt the FCC’s early renewal request and stem the possibility of the agency intervening in or influencing ABC’s editorial decisions.

“Acting through the Federal Communications Commission, the Administration has waged a retaliatory campaign against ABC for a single reason: it disapproves of what ABC broadcasts,” ABC wrote in the 45-page complaint.

The FCC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The lawsuit comes after the agency in April ordered an accelerated review of Disney’s ABC-owned television stations, which it said was related to an ongoing investigation into the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion practices. The announcement came a day after President Trump called for late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel to be fired over a joke he made about first lady Melania Trump.

Disney declined to comment. The company owns eight TV stations, including WABC-TV in New York and KABC-TV in Los Angeles.