US judge to hold hearing on Disney bid to block FCC license review
DIS•A US judge will hold a hearing on Disney’s bid to block an early FCC review of licenses for its eight company-owned ABC stations. Disney filed the lawsuit in August.
1. Hearing on temporary order
US District Judge Loren AliKhan will consider whether to issue a temporary restraining order blocking the FCC from moving ahead with an early review of Disney’s ABC station licenses. AliKhan previously declined to bar the agency from referring the licenses for a public hearing, and the FCC agreed to give the court at least 48 hours’ notice before proceeding.
2. Dispute over FCC reviews
FCC Chair Brendan Carr ordered the reviews in April, although the stations’ license renewals were not scheduled for consideration before October 2028. The FCC had not ordered an early review in more than 50 years. Disney says the FCC is seeking to coerce and retaliate against a network that refuses to bow to the administration’s demands.
3. Other ABC scrutiny
The FCC is also investigating ABC’s daytime talk show “The View” over whether federal equal-opportunity rules for political candidates apply. Disney said the program has not invited political candidates since February, citing the FCC’s “pressure campaign.” Jimmy Kimmel said last month that FCC threats prevented his interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico from airing; it was posted on YouTube and has been viewed more than 13 million times.
