The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has launched an investigation into Disney and its ABC television network over concerns that the company is engaging in discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, announced the probe, citing potential violations of federal regulations against “invidious forms of DEI discrimination.”
Last week, the FCC sent a letter to Disney CEO Bob Iger questioning whether the company is complying with DEI-related policies. The investigation comes amid the Trump administration’s broader efforts to crack down on DEI programs in American businesses.
Carr specifically highlighted concerns about Disney’s Reimagine Tomorrow initiative, which promotes diversity in storytelling and hiring. He pointed to the initiative as an example of Disney’s DEI mission, which he argues could be in violation of federal law.
In March, Disney announced it would scale back some of its DEI initiatives. Changes included shortening the warning about “racist stereotypes” in classic films such as Aladdin and The Jungle Book on Disney+ and replacing “Diversity & Inclusion” with “Talent Strategy” in executive performance evaluations. While Carr acknowledged these steps in his letter, he insisted that Disney must go further in eliminating “all discriminatory initiatives.”
At this time, it is unclear how Disney will respond. Company officials say they are reviewing the FCC’s letter and plan to cooperate with the investigation.
Disney’s latest live-action adaptation, “Snow White,” experienced a lackluster debut at the box office, raising concerns about the film’s financial trajectory.
The film garnered $43 million domestically and an additional $44 million internationally, culminating in a global opening of $87 million. These figures fall short of earlier projections, which anticipated domestic earnings between $48 million and $58 million. Notably, previous Disney remakes like “The Lion King” and “Beauty and the Beast” achieved opening weekends of $191 million and $174 million, respectively.
The production’s substantial budget, estimated at over $250 million, intensifies the impact of these underwhelming earnings.
