The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the United States has ordered a review of Disney‘s broadcast licenses following a joke made by host Jimmy Kimmel about First Lady Melania Trump.
Kimmel, who joked last week that Melania had the glow of a “future widow,” was heavily criticized by the government and its supporters. The Trump family called for the host to be fired from his show on the ABC network, and pressure intensified over the weekend after the president survived an assassination attempt.
As a result of the controversy, The Walt Disney Company will have its licenses reviewed ahead of schedule by the FCC, the federal agency led by Brendan Carr, who was appointed to the position by Donald Trump. The licenses were originally scheduled for renewal between 2028 and 2031.
“The FCC determines that calling Disney‘s ABC licenses for early renewal at this time, under the public interest standard of the Communications Act, is essential within the meaning of the agency’s rules,” the FCC’s Media Bureau said on Tuesday (28).
“Therefore, Disney’s ABC is directed to file license renewals for all of its licensed TV stations within 30 days — in other words, by May 28, 2026.”
The order also indicates that this move is an escalation of the agency’s ongoing investigation into Disney‘s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices amid the agency’s “prohibition of unlawful discrimination.”
“We have received the order from the Federal Communications Commission initiating an accelerated review of the licenses held by television stations owned by ABC,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement sent to Entertainment Weekly.
“ABC and its stations have a long history 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 the record will demonstrate our continued qualifications as licensees under the Communications Act and the First Amendment, and we are prepared to show this through the appropriate legal channels. Our focus remains, as always, on serving viewers in the local communities where our stations operate,” the statement added.
Photo: Instagram @jimmykimmel. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
