Updated at 4:37pm Eastern
The Commander-in-Chief has expressed his disdain of late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel. A Center for American Rights complaint filed on September 24, 2024 that was dismissed in the waning days of the Rosenworcel Commission was reinstated by the Carr Commission, putting “news distortion” claims against an ABC Owned Stations property in Philadelphia back under review.
As the clock neared the noon hour in Burbank, Calif., RBR+TVBR independently confirmed that the FCC is proceeding with a rare early review of the broadcast licenses held by The Walt Disney Co., prompting an irate response from the lone Democrat on the Commission.
A two-page order courtesy of Video Division Chief David J. Brown, Disney and its American Broadcasting Co. (ABC) unit were ordered to file license renewals for all of their licensed TV stations within 30 days — or, by May 28, 2026.
The order, nearly worded in the same manner as a concurrent early license renewal order issued to Bridge News LLC. It states that Disney’s ABC Owned Stations have been under investigation by the FCC “for compliance with its obligations as a licensed broadcaster.” Specifically, “violations of the Communications Act of 1934 and the FCC’s rules, including the agency’s prohibition on unlawful discrimination,” were cited by Brown. While Disney’s ABC “has purported to respond to two FCC Letters of Inquiry as part of this investigation,” the FCC has determined that additional actions are appropriate at this time, Brown said.
It comes as Kimmel, once again, has raised the ire of President Trump — this time for comments made about the First Lady by the one-time KROQ in Los Angeles sports journalist turned television star. On Thursday’s broadcast of Jimmy Kimmel Live! the host said Melania Trump looked like “an expectant widow.” Then came the evacuation of the Washington Hilton on Saturday night as a gunman threatened President Trump and other executive branch leaders, putting the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in evacuation mode before it was scrapped and rescheduled for a later date.
While the April 23 broadcast exacerbated matters, any FCC early review is likely not tied to that incident.
In April, Carr noted in a FOX interview that potential race and gender-based discrimination at ABC was being reviewed by the Commission, to which Carr said, “that’s a very serious issue at the FCC, that could fundamentally go to their character qualifications to even hold a license.”
For Anna M. Gómez, the fiery minority opposition representing the Democratic Party, any suggestion that ABC Owned Stations properties enter an early review by the Commission is “unprecedented, unlawful and going nowhere.” On X, she added that “this political stunt won’t stick. Companies should challenge it head-on. The First Amendment is on their side.”
Later in the afternoon, following the release of the Order from Brown’s office, Gómez issued a formal statement condemning the move. “This is the most egregious action this FCC has taken in violation of the First Amendment to date,” she said. “As part of its ongoing campaign of censorship and control, the White House called publicly for the silencing of a vocal critic, and this FCC has now answered that call. This is an unprecedented and politically motivated attempt to interfere with how broadcasters operate, and this unlawful overreach will fail. This should be a lesson to media companies that no amount of capitulation to this Administration will buy them protection. The only choice is to stand up and stand firm in defense of the First Amendment.”
Meanwhile, former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai was in attendance at the White House Correspondents’ Association reception on Saturday night. He describes how the events unfolded.
“Everyone was chatting loudly, and I heard a relatively loud, bass-heavy boom followed by another one, followed by the sound of a lot of people in the center-back of the room getting up and moving fast,” he posted on X. ” I definitely did not hear a gunshot. [I heard] no other details, except a server in the back walked by and told one of her colleagues, ‘he’s dead.’”
