The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Tuesday ordered an early review of the licenses of all television stations owned by ABC.
The extraordinary move, officially justified by an investigation into the network’s compliance and inclusion policies, comes amid an intense public feud between U.S. President Donald Trump and comedian and host Jimmy Kimmel.
In an official document issued today, the FCC determined that requiring early renewal of the licenses of The Walt Disney Company and its ABC subsidiary is “essential” under the public interest standard of the Communications Act.
Therefore, the agency has given the company 30 days, until May 28, 2026, to submit renewal applications for all of its stations.
The move directly affects eight stations ABC owns in vital markets across the country, including New York (WABC-TV), Los Angeles (KABC-TV), Chicago (WLS-TV) and Philadelphia (WPVI-TV).
However, in the political context, the action has been interpreted as an escalation by the Trump administration to pressure the media for its coverage.
Last week, Kimmel did a parody, on his ‘Jimmy Kimmel Show’, about the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, in which he pretended to be the comedian in charge of entertaining the guests.
“Our first lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow,” is among the comments she made in her parody of the dinner.
On the day of the dinner, which Trump and his wife presided over, the Trumps had to be evacuated after a man began shooting at the hotel where the event was being held.
In a message posted yesterday on X, the first lady called Kimmel’s joke a “rhetoric of hate and violence” that “aims to divide” America, and said ABC should “take action” for it.
Trump subsequently called for his firing and claimed that his joke was “a despicable call to violence.”
For his part, on his Monday night show, Kimmel assured that his recent joke was “a joke” and not “a call for murder.”
Under normal protocol, ABC’s licenses, which operate on eight-year cycles, were not due for renewal until 2028.
However, the agency has invoked a rare legal provision that gives it the authority to advance the procedure if it deems it vital to an investigation, thus opening the door to a possible denial, reported Agencia EFE.
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