As expected, Brendan Carr and the Federal Communications Commission have today unleashed license renewal Hell on the Walt Disney Company. However, with yet another Jimmy Kimmel brouhaha erupting with Donald Trump and MAGAland, the Josh D’Amaro-led House of Mouse are playing it cool and playing along, at least for now.
“We have received the Federal Communications Commission’s order initiating an accelerated review of the licenses held by ABC’s owned television stations,” the House of Mouse said immediately after the FCC ordered Disney “to file license renewals for all of their licensed TV stations within 30 days.”
The station renewals were originally set to occur in 2028 and 2031. Now Disney have to have all the paperwork in by May 28 at the latest.
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In the pitched political environment, Disney added Tuesday: “ABC and its stations have a long record of operating in full compliance with FCC rules and serving their local communities with trusted news, emergency information, and public‑interest programming. 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. Our focus remains, as always, on serving viewers in the local communities where our stations operate.”
Under Trump loyalist Carr, the FCC already has been investigating Disney over its diversity, equity and inclusion programs. However, the timing of this Disney described ” accelerated review” comes 24 hours after Melania Trump condemned Kimmel for a April 23 mocked White House Correspondents Dinner roast in which the late night host referred to the First Lady as an “expectant widow.” Her husband soon followed calling for the Disney-owned ABC to fire Kimmel, who has long be a harsh critic of the former Apprentice host and his gang.