With Kimmel under fire, FCC moves to review ABC’s TV station licenses

The Federal Communications Commission is ordering an early review of Walt Disney Co.’s broadcast TV licenses amid criticism of ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s provocative jokes ahead of the White House Correspondents’ Assn. dinner.

The FCC said it has been investigating ABC stations over whether the company’s diversity and inclusion policies are in violation of the Communications Act of 1934 and the agency’s rules, including its “prohibition on unlawful discrimination.”

The move is by far the most aggressive attempt by the White House to target President Trump’s media critics. Trump has frequently threatened to have TV station licenses pulled when he is unhappy over their coverage, but the order is the first time the government has acted on his wishes, sparking anger from free speech advocates.

A Disney representative acknowledged the company has received the order and issued a statement saying the stations have been in compliance with FCC rules and its requirement to serve the public interest.

“We are confident that record demonstrates our continued qualifications as licensees under the Communications Act and the First Amendment and are prepared to show that through the appropriate legal channels,” the company said. “Our focus remains, as always, on serving viewers in the local communities where our stations operate.”

The licenses for eight ABC-owned TV stations, including KABC in Los Angeles, were originally scheduled for renewal between 2028 and 2031.

The action marks the latest controversial step by FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. Since taking over the agency last year, Carr has repeatedly threatened to use the levers of power he has to punish TV and radio stations that irritate Trump.

Carr has said ABC’s daily talk show “The View” should not be exempt from the FCC’s equal time rule that requires broadcasters to bring on a politician’s rival to provide balanced coverage and multiple viewpoints.

He also said earlier this year that stations could be subject to discipline if they “don’t operate in the public interest” after criticisms from the White House about coverage of the Iran war.

The order issued Tuesday takes on more weight with the reaction to Kimmel’s gags about the Washington gala attended by Trump for the first time.

Kimmel satirized the dinner Thursday, but the remarks drew criticism after a man breached security at the Washington Hilton event Saturday while armed with a shotgun, handgun and several knives. The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, was arrested and faces three criminal charges, including attempting to assassinate President Trump.

Brendan Carr, commissioner at the FCC, speaks during CPAC in Grapevine, Texas, March 27, 2026. The Conservative Political Action Conference launched in 1974 brings together conservative organizations, elected leaders, and activists.

(Shelby Tauber/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Right-wing commentators have perpetuated the claim that Kimmel’s routine inspired Allen to act after First Lady Melania Trump called for the host’s firing Monday.

During the bit, a tuxedo-clad Kimmel called Melania Trump “beautiful,” saying she had “the glow of an expectant widow.” The comic explained Monday that the gag was a reference to the age difference between Trump and his wife.

“It was a very light roast joke about the fact that he’s almost 80 and she’s younger than I am,” Kimmel said. “It was not, by any stretch of the definition, a call to assassination. And they know that.”

The controversy is the second time in nearly eight months that Disney has had to walk through a firestorm caused by Kimmel’s jabs at Trump.

In September, Kimmel’s program was briefly pulled from the air after two major TV station groups refused to air it following the host’s comments about the murder of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.

Disney received major blowback from the Hollywood community, where Kimmel is extremely popular. Data also showed the company experienced cancellations of its Hulu and Disney+ streaming services in protest of the move.

The company reinstated Kimmel and the two station groups, Nexstar and Sinclair Broadcasting, eventually put the program back on as they were at risk of breaching their affiliation agreements with ABC.

The association between ABC and Trump has been strained for some time.

ABC settled a defamation suit filed by Trump in 2024. He sued the network and anchor George Stephanopoulos days after the anchor claimed during an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) that Trump had been “found liable for rape,” which misstated the verdicts in two lawsuits against him.

Trump was found liable for sexually assaulting and defaming E. Jean Carroll and was ordered to pay her $5 million. Disney probably settled the suit Trump filed in response to the Stephanopoulos interview to avoid the discovery process that would have revealed unflattering texts and emails about Trump.

The difference for Kimmel this time around is Disney no longer has Bob Iger as chief executive. The latest standoff will test whether Josh D’Amaro, Disney’s new top boss, has the stomach to do battle with the Trump White House or for a prolonged legal fight that would probably ensue if the FCC pulls the licenses.

Free speech advocates were quick to condemn the order. The FCC’s lone Democratic appointee, Anna Gomez, noted that early station renewal reviews are exceedingly rare and largely futile when they involve free speech issues.

“This is unprecedented, unlawful, and going nowhere,” Gomez said in a statement. “It is a political stunt and it won’t stick. Companies should challenge it head-on. The 1st Amendment is on their side.”

Other White House administrations have threatened to pull TV station licenses in response to negative news coverage. At the height of the Watergate scandal in the 1970s, Richard Nixon’s allies unsuccessfully attempted to challenge the TV licenses of three stations then owned by the Washington Post.

RKO General, a unit of the General Tire and Rubber Co., was the last company to lose broadcast TV station licenses in 1987, including Los Angeles outlet KHJ. The case was related to corporate malfeasance and not broadcast content on the stations.

The process to revoke the RKO licenses took seven years from the moment the FCC voted in favor of the move.

Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, said the FCC’s action would set a dangerous precedent.

“President Trump is trying to consolidate control over what Americans see and hear on the radio, television, and social media,” Jaffer said. “If he gets his way, we’ll have only government-aligned media organizations that broadcast only government-approved news and commentary. It would be difficult to imagine an outcome more corrosive to democracy or more offensive to the First Amendment.”

Times staff writer Meg James contributed to this report.