By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, July 28 (Reuters) – A bipartisan group of former U.S. communications regulators on Tuesday urged the Federal Communications Commission to abandon an unusual early review of broadcast licenses held by Disney’s eight company-owned ABC television stations, calling the move a threat to free speech.
In a filing with the FCC, former commissioners and senior staff from Republican and Democratic administrations said the review could allow the agency to revoke ABC’s licenses years before they are due for renewal and appeared aimed at punishing a broadcaster that President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized.
The signatories, including former Republican FCC commissioners Mark Fowler, Dennis Patrick, Alfred Sikes and Rachelle Chong and former Democratic Chair Tom Wheeler, said the review was “an assault on free speech disguised as regulatory process.”
They said the FCC “appears to envision terminating ABC’s licenses years early and making spectrum currently licensed to ABC available to others.”
FCC Chair Brendan Carr ordered the reviews in April, even though the stations’ license renewals were not scheduled to be considered until starting in October 2028. The FCC had not ordered an early review in more than 50 years before April.
The FCC said the move stemmed from a year-long investigation into whether Disney’s diversity policies amounted to unlawful discrimination, an allegation the company denies. Carr and Disney did not immediately comment on Tuesday.
Broadcast stations need FCC licenses to use public airwaves. While license revocations are exceptionally rare, critics say the prospect of losing a license can pressure broadcasters and raise concerns about government interference in editorial and programming decisions.
Carr opened the investigation in March 2025 into Disney’s diversity practices and said Disney submitted documents he viewed as insufficient. He has said he has not ruled out seeking to revoke the company’s licenses.
The reviews were ordered in April, a day after Trump urged ABC to fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
“This administration has repeatedly (and unlawfully) said that broadcasters could lose their licenses for continuing to speak in ways the president considers unfavorable,” the former FCC officials wrote.
Trump has repeatedly urged broadcasters to drop comedy or news programs he dislikes or which have been critical, pressing regulators to revoke licenses of broadcasters he says are unfair. Broadcasters have broad First Amendment rights to make content decisions.
Trump demanded in November that the FCC revoke ABC licenses after he criticized an ABC News correspondent for asking Saudi Arabia’s crown prince about the 2018 killing of a Washington Post columnist, in a question he dubbed “insubordinate.”
The FCC is also investigating ABC daytime talk show “The View”, which discusses U.S. politics, after saying it may be subject to federal rules requiring broadcasters to provide equal opportunities to political candidates.
Democratic Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla said the FCC’s order requiring ABC to seek an early license review “creates the strong appearance that the FCC’s licensing authority is being used to pressure or retaliate against protected speech.”
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Alexandra Hudson and Sanjeev Miglani)
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