By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, April 29 (Reuters) - A group representing major U.S. broadcasters on Wednesday called the Federal Communications Commission decision to launch an early review of the eight ABC local station licenses owned by Disney "nearly unprecedented," adding that the decision "creates significant uncertainty for all broadcasters."
The National Association of Broadcasters said the "FCC must be careful to avoid actions that create further instability for the local stations viewers
and listeners depend on."
Disney's broadcast licenses were not scheduled to be reviewed before October 2028. After a joke by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel drew calls from the White House for ABC to fire the comedian, the FCC on Tuesday ordered an early license review.
Unlike the last battle with Kimmel that centered on free speech, this time the FCC is targeting Disney's track record of diversity and inclusion practices, according to the order.
An FCC spokesman said the agency action "was based on evidence of Disney's discriminatory DEI conduct, not any speech. The FCC has been investigating allegations that Disney created racially segregated spaces as well as racial and identity preferences or quotas."
Disney has until May 28 to respond.
The FCC has not revoked a broadcast license in more than four decades.
On Thursday, Kimmel did a send-up of the longstanding comic's role at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner on his ABC show, joking that first lady Melania Trump had "a glow like an expectant widow."
The joke was made days before the actual black-tie dinner celebrating press freedom and free speech, in Washington, which this year was not going to feature a comedian. The president and the first lady were rushed from the dinner after shots were fired outside the room where the dinner was being held, which was determined to be an assassination attempt.
Disney said it has "a long record of operating in full compliance with FCC rules" and added it is "prepared to show that through the appropriate legal channels."
Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz, a Republican, criticized FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's action on Disney.
"It is not government's job to censor speech and I do not believe the FCC should operate as the speech police," he said.
Anna Gomez, the only Democratic commissioner at the FCC, said the review is the "most egregious action this FCC has taken in violation of the First Amendment to date."
In September 2025, Carr pressured broadcasters to take Kimmel off the air. ABC briefly suspended Kimmel's show that month over comments he made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
(Reporting by David Shepardson in WashingtonEditing by Bill Berkrot)
