Key facts
- A U.S. judge rejected Disney's request for an urgent hearing on its lawsuit against the FCC.
- Disney sought to block the FCC's early review of licenses for its eight company-owned ABC stations.
- The judge ordered legal papers to be filed by September 24.
- A hearing on the matter is scheduled for early October.
- The FCC stated it would provide at least 48 hours' notice before referring Disney's licenses for a hearing.
U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan has rejected a request from Disney for an urgent hearing concerning its lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Disney is seeking to prevent the FCC from conducting an early review of license renewals for its eight company-owned ABC stations.
The judge directed both Disney and the FCC to submit their legal arguments by September 24. A formal hearing on the matter is scheduled to take place in early October. The FCC has assured the court that it will provide at least 48 hours' notice before issuing any order to refer Disney's ABC licenses for a hearing.
This legal dispute is seen as a significant test of broadcasters' free speech rights, particularly in light of President Donald Trump's repeated criticisms of ABC and calls for the network to lose its licenses due to programming he dislikes. Trump has been critical of the news media, and this action follows a prolonged conflict between him and Disney. Last month, Trump again urged ABC stations to lose their licenses after the network declined to air a prime-time speech on elections.
Disney has argued in its lawsuit that the FCC is attempting to coerce and retaliate against a network that refuses to comply with the administration's demands, characterizing the agency's actions as an "extraordinary assault on free speech." FCC Chair Brendan Carr, however, has stated that Disney's lawsuit lacks merit and that he has not yet made a decision regarding the referral of Disney's licenses for a hearing.