Politics

Disney blasts Brendan Carr for ‘assault’ on its TV licenses

By rivo_admin · May 28, 2026 · 7 min read

Disney formally asked the Federal Communications Commission to renew licenses for its eight ABC broadcast TV stations on Thursday, but not without chastising Chair Brendan Carr for infringing the Constitution.

The applications urge the commission to rescind Carr’s order calling in the licenses early, saying the move has “no legitimate purpose.”

“The Order is inconsistent with a legitimate exercise of investigative authority and is plainly incompatible with the First Amendment,” one Disney station wrote in its objection","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://subscriber.politicopro.com/f/?id=0000019e-7024-d71f-a5df-7667b2e80000","_id":"0000019e-7058-de70-a1bf-f97fa9f4000c","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"0000019e-7058-de70-a1bf-f97fa9f4000d","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>wrote in its objection. “Worse, the Order opens the door to an assault on the Station’s license, while the Commission searches for a legal pretext to achieve its desired goal. This effort to suppress speech under the guise of bureaucratic process must not prevail.”

FCC spokespeople didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Disney’s filings.

Carr initiated the early license renewal process a month ago, citing Disney’s diversity, equity and inclusion policies. It generated backlash","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/30/brendan-carr-disney-fight-00899439","_id":"0000019e-7058-de70-a1bf-f97fa9f4000e","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"0000019e-7058-de70-a1bf-f97fa9f4000f","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>generated backlash from the National Association of Broadcasters, and complaints from many Democrats and some top Republicans.

Critics worry the demand violates the First Amendment and is meant to silence criticism of the president. Critics also point out Carr called in the licenses a day after President Donald Trump","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/27/melania-trump-fire-kimmel-widow-joke-00893269","_id":"0000019e-7058-de70-a1bf-f97fa9f40010","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"0000019e-7058-de70-a1bf-f97fa9f40011","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>President Donald Trump and Melania Trump called for Disney-owned ABC to fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel over a joke he made referring to the first lady as an “expectant widow.”

The eight stations in question cover many of the nation’s biggest TV markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia. Disney has argued it’s well qualified to keep holding these licenses and previously announced plans to demonstrate this through “appropriate legal channels.” The earliest any of these licenses would have been up for renewal otherwise is 2028.

Disney provided other materials","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/views/public/eeoDraftCopy?displayType=html&appKey=25076f919df5a492019df879fba000bc&id=25076f919df5a492019df879fba000bc&goBack=N","_id":"0000019e-7058-de70-a1bf-f97fa9f40012","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"0000019e-7058-de70-a1bf-f97fa9f40013","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>other materials defending its licenses","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://subscriber.politicopro.com/f/?id=0000019e-7027-db8d-a5df-73ef62ed0000","_id":"0000019e-7058-de70-a1bf-f97fa9f40014","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"0000019e-7058-de70-a1bf-f97fa9f40015","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>defending its licenses and cautioned that the American public bear the real consequences of Carr’s actions.

“The ultimate injury here is not to the Station or its parent company. It is to the public,” it wrote in an application. “When a broadcaster must weigh regulatory retaliation before making editorial decisions, the public loses access to journalism that is free from government influence.”

Carr has denied outside pressures","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/30/carr-trump-disney-license-review-00901044","_id":"0000019e-7058-de70-a1bf-f97fa9f40016","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"0000019e-7058-de70-a1bf-f97fa9f40017","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>denied outside pressures influenced FCC decision-making, saying he and agency staff were unsatisfied with Disney’s document production as part of its diversity probe.

The review could drag on for months or years — especially if it goes through the FCC’s administrative court — and other parties would get a chance to argue that the agency should deny the licenses.

Disney has assumed a combative posture in opposing parts of Carr’s media agenda, recently warning in a filing from ABC","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/08/abc-disney-ffc-brendan-carr-political-speech-00912373","_id":"0000019e-7058-de70-a1bf-f97fa9f40018","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"0000019e-7058-de70-a1bf-f97fa9f40019","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>a filing from ABC that his equal time stance regarding daytime and late-night TV shows could chill political speech heading into the midterm elections. Carr is putting that issue out for public comment","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-517A1.pdf","_id":"0000019e-7058-de70-a1bf-f97fa9f4001a","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"0000019e-7058-de70-a1bf-f97fa9f4001b","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>out for public comment this summer.

The FCC on Thursday also issued a public notice","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-530A1.pdf","_id":"0000019e-7058-de70-a1bf-f97fa9f50000","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"0000019e-7058-de70-a1bf-f97fa9f50001","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>issued a public notice saying broadcasters should review their operations to ensure they’re in compliance with all FCC rules.

Anna Gomez, the FCC’s lone Democratic commissioner, recently wrote","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-421580A1.pdf","_id":"0000019e-7058-de70-a1bf-f97fa9f50002","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"0000019e-7058-de70-a1bf-f97fa9f50003","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>recently wrote to Disney’s CEO encouraging the company to fight the commission’s efforts.

“The facts, the law and the public are on their side,” Gomez told reporters last week. “What Disney and ABC are facing is not a series of coincidental regulatory actions but a sustained, coordinated campaign of censorship and control.”

المصدر: Politico

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