ABC filed early license renewals for eight owned TV stations under protest Thursday, accusing the Federal Communications Commission of unconstitutional retaliation against protected speech.
The Disney-owned network said the FCC ordered the filings years before the licenses expire. The Associated Press reported that the affected licenses run on schedules from 2028 to 2031.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the review relates to an investigation into The Walt Disney Company’s diversity practices. He said the agency would follow the facts and law.
ABC argued that the order aimed to punish speech that the government disliked. It said the FCC had not demanded early renewal in more than five decades.
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the agency’s lone Democrat, called the move political retribution. She said broadcasters should resist pressure that targets independent reporting.
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ABC also filed public-interest statements for each station. The filings listed local programming and community service work.
