A lawyer for Walt Disney urged a U.S. federal judge on Tuesday to block the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from conducting an early review of licenses for eight ABC television stations. The company alleged in its August lawsuit that the administration of President Donald Trump is seeking to censor and punish the company for airing content the administration does not like.
The dispute follows public statements by Trump calling for the FCC to revoke broadcast licenses following news and comedy programming he criticized. In April 2026, FCC Chair Brendan Carr ordered the early review of ABC's licenses, which were not due to expire until between 2028 and 2031. The agency stated the early review was prompted by Disney's failure to quickly respond to document requests for an investigation into its diversity practices that began in March 2025.
During a two-hour hearing before U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan, Disney attorney Beth Wilkinson argued that the FCC's actions have created a "chill" on the network's editorial decisions. Wilkinson cited the administration's reaction after ABC and NBC declined to carry a live July 16 speech by Trump. Dimitar Georgiev-Remmel, representing the administration, argued that Disney would retain its licenses throughout the administrative and judicial process and that the lawsuit should have been filed in a federal appeals court.
The FCC had not ordered an early license review in more than 50 years, according to the sources. Disney noted that the daytime talk show "The View" has not invited political candidates to appear since February, citing the FCC's "pressure campaign." Additionally, ABC host Jimmy Kimmel said FCC threats prevented the airing of his interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico last month, which was instead posted on YouTube where it was viewed over 13 million times.
The outcome of this case poses a test for the free speech rights of broadcasters under the First Amendment versus the administration's efforts to reshape the media landscape. AliKhan has previously declined to bar the FCC from referring the licenses to a public hearing, but the agency has agreed to provide 48 hours' notice before moving ahead. The judge held the hearing to help determine whether to issue a preliminary injunction.