Disney, ABC Sue FCC Over Trump‑Driven Early Licence Renewal

Sun Sep 06 2026 03:48:32 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Disney and its ABC network challenge a Trump‑influenced FCC move demanding early broadcast licence renewals, alleging unlawful censorship.

Disney has sued the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and its chairman to block an unprecedented early licence renewal that the administration allegedly forced on the regulator to punish ABC for its editorial stance. The complaint cites Trump’s critical tweets about ABC’s coverage and the FCC’s claim that the request is based on public interest, not retaliation. Both Disney and ABC are seeking a speedy court hearing and a temporary restraining order to halt the FCC’s order.

Disney, ABC Sue FCC Over Trump‑Driven Early Licence Renewal

Disney and its ABC network have filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and its chairman, Brendan Carr, to halt an early renewal of broadcast licences that the administration allegedly pressured the regulator to issue.

The complaint claims the FCC’s request—unprecedented in the past 50 years— is a retaliatory move aimed at punishing ABC for editorial choices that President Donald Trump found objectionable.

Trump’s tweets, which criticized ABC’s coverage as “almost 100 % negative” and suggested that the network’s licences could be “terminated”, are cited as evidence in the lawsuit.

FCC chair Carr insisted the renewal requests were framed around “public interest”, but Disney argues that the commission is acting in response to presidential criticism.

The lawsuit also points to earlier investigations into Disney’s DEI policies and the network’s daytime show The View, positioning the filing as a broader defence of free speech rights on U.S. airwaves.

Both Disney and ABC seek immediate judicial action, requesting a speedy hearing and a temporary restraining order to prevent the FCC’s order from going into effect.