ABC Files Lawsuit Against FCC, Alleging First Amendment Retaliation Over License Renewals
ABC has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), alleging that the agency's actions, specifically ordering early license renewals for its eight owned stations, constitute retaliation and a violation of the First Amendment. The network claims these actions are part of a campaign by the Trump administration to punish The Walt Disney Co. for its content, including programming featuring Jimmy Kimmel and 'The View.' The FCC's order for early license renewals, issued in late May, is described by ABC as highly unusual and a 'pretext' for a probe into the network's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices. ABC's legal team argues that the FCC's actions are designed to suppress or punish disfavored expression, citing comments from FCC chairman Brendan Carr and President Trump's attacks on the network. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) is mentioned in the lawsuit for comments he made regarding the FCC's handling of a suspension of Jimmy Kimmel, which ABC uses to illustrate the perceived pre... 
