Disney launches campaign in support of ABC's battles with the FCC

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The Walt Disney Co.is rallying public support for ABC as it faces an early Federal Communications Commission review of its TV station licenses and the guest booking policy of its daytime talk show “The View.”ABC began running spots Monday asking viewers to comment on the FCC’s recent actions that Disney sees as an effort to stifle speech seen as critical of President Trump.

The president has repeatedly threatened to pull broadcast licenses of TV outlets that feature journalists and hosts he dislikes.In April, the FCC called for an early review of the licenses for Disney’s eight broadcast TV stations, a day after Trump demanded that ABC fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel over a joke about First Lady Melania Trump.Carr has repeatedly threatened to use the levers of power he has to punish TV and radio stations that irritate Trump.The licenses for the TV stations, including KABC in Los Angeles, were originally scheduled for renewal between 2028 and 2031.

Calling for an early review is highly unusual, but the agency said its related to an inquiry into Disney’s diversity, equity and inclusion policies and whether they violated federal anti-discrimination rules.The FCC has not declined to renew a TV license since the early 1980s.With court challenges, such a process can take years to enact.FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has also taken aim at ABC’s daytime talk show, “The View.” He publicly questioned whether the program should have the status of news programs, which are exempt from having to give equal time to the opponents of political candidates who appear as guests.“The View” was granted an exemption from the rarely enforced rule in 2002.

ABC’s Houston station KTRK filed a petition with the FCC in May asking for a declaration that the program can maintain that status.“The Commission’s actions threaten to upend decades of settled law and practice and chill critica...