FCC Ordered Early Review of ABC Licenses Amid Controversy and DEI Probe
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began considering an early review of Disney's ABC broadcast licenses after a controversial monologue by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, which drew criticism from President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. The Trump administration pressured ABC to dismiss Kimmel, and the FCC planned to challenge ABC's station licenses in response to the controversy. This led to the FCC ordering an early review of the licenses, citing the incident involving Kimmel's joke about the First Lady.
Subsequently, the FCC expanded the scope of the early review to include an ongoing investigation into ABC's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices. The commission denied that external political pressure influenced its decision to initiate the review. The early review of ABC's broadcast licenses remains in effect amid scrutiny of the network's compliance with DEI standards and regulatory requirements in the United States.
