FCC Orders Early Review of Disney’s ABC Broadcast Licences After Trump Targets Jimmy Kimmel

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has ordered an early review of Disney’s ABC television broadcast licences, days after former President Donald Trump publicly demanded the firing of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

Trump had urged ABC, a subsidiary of Disney, to remove Kimmel's programme after the comedian quipped that Melania Trump possessed the 'glow of an expectant widow'. These remarks were made shortly before a gunman discharged shots at a gala attended by the Trumps.

In a Tuesday order, the FCC stated it had been investigating Disney’s ABC stations for potential violations, including alleged unlawful discrimination. The agency has instructed Disney to submit licence renewal applications for all its licensed television stations within 30 days. These licences were not originally scheduled for renewal until 2028.

During its renewal assessment, the FCC holds the authority to mandate that Disney demonstrate compliance with the agency’s public-interest standards. Such reviews could culminate in the revocation of broadcasting licences, a measure the commission has not enacted in over 40 years, as reported by Reuters.

Democratic FCC commissioner Anna M Gomez criticised the FCC’s directive as 'a political stunt'. In a statement on X, Gomez asserted, 'This is unprecedented, unlawful, and going nowhere. Companies should challenge it head-on. The First Amendment is on their side.'

This FCC action coincides with ongoing White House pressure on ABC to dismiss Kimmel. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung stated on Tuesday that Kimmel ought to be 'shunned for the rest of his life'.

Kimmel, during his Monday night broadcast, defended his comments about the former First Lady, clarifying that the joke was 'a very light roast joke about the fact that he’s almost 80 and she’s younger than I am. It was not by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination'. He further highlighted his long-standing vocal opposition to gun violence.

Earlier on Monday, Trump had labelled Kimmel’s sketch a 'call to violence', while Melania Trump accused Kimmel of exacerbating 'the political sickness within America'.

The US president and his wife were safely evacuated from a gala dinner on Saturday night after an individual opened fire near a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton. The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, was apprehended by authorities near a ballroom entrance and has since been charged with attempting to assassinate the president.