ABC accuses FCC of 'retaliation' as federal agency threatens to revoke Disney's broadcasting licenses

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr tells Fox News Digital that broadcasters need to operate in the public interest and airing a significant presidential address is part of the deal. ABC submitted a scathing filing to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Wednesday in opposition to petitions to deny its stations' license renewals. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr called the licenses of eight ABC-owned stations for early renewal in April. The Disney-owned ABC station's licenses were originally scheduled to be renewed between 2028 and 2031, but the FCC expedited the process amid ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. The eight stations must demonstrate they have been operating in the public interest as part of an ongoing look at Disney’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices. While the FCC filing did not