FCC calls in Disney-owned ABC stations for early license review in wake of Jimmy Kimmel controversy

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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Tuesday called Disney’s ABC licenses for early renewal, marking a significant escalation in tensions between the media giant and the Trump administration.

Disney-owned ABC affiliates will have to prove to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr that they have been operating in the public interest. The licenses are not up for renewal for several years, but the FCC accelerated their renewal process on the heels of Jimmy Kimmel’s controversial “expectant widow” joke last week that prompted President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump to call for his firing.

KFSN-TV in Fresno, KABC-TV in Los Angeles, KGO-TV in San Francisco, WLS-TV in Chicago, WABC-TV in New York, WTVD in North Carolina, WPVI-TV in Philadelphia and KTRK-TV in Houston are the Disney-owned stations named by the FCC.

“The FCC has been investigating The Walt Disney Company, its American Broadcasting Company, and its subsidiaries (collectively, ‘Disney’s ABC’) for compliance with its obligations as a licensed broadcaster. Specifically, the FCC has been investigating Disney’s ABC stations for possible violations of the Communications Act of 1934 and the FCC’s rules, including the agency’s prohibition on unlawful discrimination,” FCC video chief David Brown wrote.

“While Disney’s ABC has purported to respond to two FCC Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) as part of this investigation, the FCC has determined that additional actions are appropriate at this time,” he continued. “Specifically, FCC rules provide that whenever the FCC regards an application for a renewal of a license as essential to the proper conduct of an investigation, the FCC has the authority to call the broadcaster’s licenses in for early renewal. Doing so both allows the FCC to conduct its ongoing investigation and enables the FCC to ensure that the broadcaster has been meeting its public interest obligations more broadly.”

The FCC added: “The FCC determines that calling in Disney’s ABC licenses for early renewal, at this time, under the Communications Act’s public interest standard2 is essential within the meaning of agency regulations. Therefore, Disney’s ABC is hereby directed to file license renewals for all of their licensed TV stations within 30 days–in other words, by May 28, 2026.”

Kimmel had quipped Melania Trump had the glow of an “expectant widow” on his show last week. The joke went viral when just days later, an assailant who authorities say wanted to attack Trump administration members opened fire at a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.

This is a developing story, more to come…

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