The Federal Communications Commission is planning to review Disney’s broadcast licenses, according to a report from Semafor. While the FCC may not ultimately launch the view, the threat to do so comes as Chairman Brendan Carr has previously threatened the company’s licenses.
Last year, Carr told Fox News, “If the evidence does in fact play out and shows that they were engaged in race- and gender-based discrimination, that’s a very serious issue at the FCC, that could fundamentally go to their character qualifications to even hold a license.”
The news comes as President Trump called for talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, whose show airs on ABC, which is owned by Disney, to be fired after he made assassination-related jokes. His monologue occurred just prior to the shooting incident during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Semafor’s report noted that the timing of the possible review is unrelated to Kimmel’s latest comments.
“Wow, Jimmy Kimmel, who is in no way funny as attested to by his terrible Television Ratings, made a statement on his Show that is really shocking,” President Trump wrote on Truth Social, addressing Kimmel’s statements. He added, “I appreciate that so many people are incensed by Kimmel’s despicable call to violence, and normally would not be responsive to anything that he said but, this is something far beyond the pale. Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC.”
First Lady Melania Trump also condemned his comments, calling his jokes “hateful and violent rhetoric” that is “intended to divide our country.”
“His monologue about my family isn’t comedy- his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America,” she wrote. “People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate. A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him.”
