Key Points
- A coalition of 22 advocacy organizations is urging Disney to more publicly resist recent FCC actions involving ABC and its owned television stations.
- The letter says Disney should continue defending its First Amendment rights as it challenges the FCC’s early license renewal order for eight ABC-owned stations.
- More than 150,000 comments have been filed with the FCC since the agency’s probes into Disney and ABC began weeks ago.
A coalition of nearly two dozen public interest groups have written a letter to the Walt Disney Company’s Chief Executive Officer Josh D’Amaro to reaffirm their support for the media giant in its ongoing fight against the Trump administration and regulators at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The letter was signed by organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Public Knowledge, TechFreedom, PEN America, People for the American Way, The Trevor Project, UnidosUS and the Media and Democracy (MAD) Project.
“We urge you to continue to defend and exercise your First Amendment rights, so that we can all continue to exercise ours,” the groups wrote.
The letter comes as Disney continues to challenge an unusual FCC order requiring the company to file early license renewal applications for eight ABC-owned television stations. The stations are located in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno.
Disney submitted the renewal applications under protest in May, saying it was responding to an “unlawful, arbitrary, and unconstitutional order.”
The FCC has said the early renewal proceeding is connected to its review of Disney’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices, but citics of the probe say the agency is using its regulatory authority to pressure ABC over programming and editorial decisions.
The dispute also includes FCC scrutiny of “The View” over an appearance by Texas Representative James Talarico, who is running for U.S. Senate. The agency has examined whether ABC complied with equal-time requirements after Talarico appeared on the daytime program.
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the agency’s only Democratic official, has criticized the regulator’s handling of that matter, saying the Media Bureau notified ABC affiliates about potential public-file obligations and offered amnesty for late disclosures while not providing the same treatment to KTRK (Channel 13), the ABC-owned station in Houston.
ABC-owned stations began airing public messages in June warning viewers that the FCC could revoke their licenses and encouraging them to submit comments in the proceeding. The messages included links and QR codes directing viewers to FCC filing instructions.
The advocacy groups said Disney should continue making the issue public, not just through regulatory filings.
“Meaningfully fighting back requires more than strongly worded regulatory filings,” the letter said. “It requires that you make clear to the public what is happening to you and to them — that the government is violating the First Amendment.”
The National Association of Broadcasters has also criticized the FCC’s early renewal demand, warning that the action could create instability for local stations that depend on predictable licensing procedures.
“Broadcast stations already face intense challenges as they work to deliver trusted journalism, lifesaving emergency services, community programming and election coverage,” NAB President and Chief Executive Officer Curtis LeGeyt said. “The FCC must be careful to avoid actions that create further instability for the local stations viewers and listeners depend on.”
Since the probes began, more than 150,000 public comments have been filed with the FCC on the matter, almost all of which are supportive of Disney and ABC.
More Stories
- Former FCC officials blast agency’s targeting of ABC
- FCC issues public interest reminder as ABC renews broadcast TV licenses
- FCC Chairman Carr: ABC decision to skip Trump speech will factor into license review
- Trump SCOTUS appointee expresses concern over weaponization of FCC
- ABC renews call for FCC to reaffirm equal time waiver for “The View”
- FCC flooded with 38,000 public comments after ABC public outreach campaign
- Groups file formal petition to deny over FCC’s probes into Disney, ABC
