Disney Sues Trump Administration Over ABC Broadcast Licences

Disney has sued the Trump administration over its efforts to review the broadcast licences of stations owned by its ABC television network, accusing the government of retaliating against the company over its programming and news coverage.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Washington on Tuesday by Disney and American Broadcasting Companies, the company that operates ABC.

Disney has owned ABC since 1996, making the television network one of its major media businesses.

The companies are asking the court to stop the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from proceeding with an early review of the broadcast licences of eight ABC-owned television stations.

The stations, which include outlets serving major markets such as New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, were not otherwise due for licence review until 2028.

The FCC, led by Chairman Brendan Carr, ordered the early reviews in April.

Disney and ABC argue that the move was politically motivated and amounts to government retaliation over content the Trump administration dislikes, violating their First Amendment rights.

The lawsuit comes after President Donald Trump publicly called for ABC to fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

The FCC has also been investigating ABC’s daytime programme The View over whether it complied with federal equal-time requirements for political candidates.

Disney is asking the court to issue a temporary restraining order blocking the FCC from moving forward with the licence proceedings while its legal challenge is considered.

The case marks a major escalation in the dispute between the Trump administration and major US broadcasters over government regulation, editorial independence and the limits of presidential pressure on media companies.