The Walt Disney Company and its ABC television network filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, Aug. 18, against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in an effort to block the agency from initiating an early review of broadcast licenses for eight ABC-owned television stations. Disney’s complaint alleges that the Trump administration is attempting to punish the network for its content.

Core Legal Demands

Disney and ABC have submitted a complaint to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent the FCC from advancing any proceedings that could revoke their broadcast licenses. The complaint argues that the FCC’s actions constitute a violation of ABC’s First Amendment rights.

Case Background

In April, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr ordered an expedited review of the licenses for eight ABC-owned television stations. This highly unusual review was announced shortly after President Trump publicly called on ABC to fire late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. The FCC also announced an investigation into ABC’s daytime talk show The View, asserting that it is subject to federal equal-time rules for candidates.

FCC Chairman Carr has previously denied that the White House pressured him on the matter, stating that the review was prompted by Disney and ABC’s diversity practices rather than their broadcast content. However, Trump himself told Newsmax in an interview: “I think ABC has actually put itself in great jeopardy.”

Allegations of a “Retaliatory Campaign”

In the lawsuit, Disney accuses the Trump administration of “waging a retaliatory campaign.” The company argued that the FCC’s demand for an early license review poses an “existential threat” to ABC. Previously, the conservative media watchdog Media Research Center had filed a petition with the FCC opposing the renewal of eight Disney-owned broadcast licenses, including ABC’s owned-and-operated stations in New York and other cities.

Broadcast television stations require FCC licenses to use public airwaves, and license renewals are typically a routine process. The demand for an early review has been viewed by the media industry as a direct government intervention in news content.