FCC asks court to reject Disney lawsuit over ABC TV station licenses

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission asked a federal judge on Thursday to toss out Disney’s lawsuit seeking to block the agency’s early review ​of licenses for the entertainment giant’s eight company-owned ABC stations.

The FCC said if Disney were successful, it would prevent the commission from analyzing evidence in its ongoing investigation and hobble the agency’s “efforts to investigate and resolve serious allegations that Disney has engaged in unlawful discrimination.”

The case is a test of free speech rights for broadcasters. President Donald Trump has called repeatedly for ABC to lose its licenses over programming he dislikes.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr ordered the early reviews in April, even though the ‌stations’ license renewals ⁠were not scheduled to be considered before October 2028. The FCC had not ordered an early review in more than 50 years before April. Carr has said he has not made a decision on whether to refer Disney’s licenses for a hearing.

The reviews were ordered a day after Trump urged ABC to ​fire late-night host Jimmy ⁠Kimmel.

U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan in Washington has set an October 6 hearing on the lawsuit. The FCC has agreed to provide at least 48 hours’ notice before ​issuing…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business