ABC submitted a scathing filing to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on 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 specifically mention Kimmel, ABC argues the action is retaliatory.CONSERVATIVE GROUPS URGE FCC TO BACK OFF ABC LICENSE REVIEW, WARNING IT COULD HURT RIGHT-LEANING MEDIA"There is no question why the Commission is singling out these eight stations: Each is owned by ABC, and the Administration has openly and repeatedly called for the revocation of ABC’s licenses, because it dislikes the content and viewpoints expressed on ABC network programs," ABC’s legal team wrote.Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr.(Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)KFSN-TV in Fresno, KABC-TV in Los Angeles, KGO-TV in San Francisco, WLS-TV in Chicago, WABC-TV in New York, WTVD in Durham, N.C., WPVI-TV in Philadelphia and KTRK-TV in Houston are the Disney-owned stations in question."The outpouring of support for the Stations has been unprecedented for a license renewal proceeding," ABC wrote.CONSERVATIVE WATCHDOG TELLS FCC THAT 'THE VIEW' IS A DEMOCRATIC PARTY OPERATION, NOT A NEWS PROGRAM"Over 140,000 comments have been received from the Stations’ local communities—from individual viewers to local police and firefighters, charities, businesses, and schools—and over 95% support the Stations," the filing continued.
"These supporters span the ideological spectrum but share a funda...