FCC head says agency was not pressured to order review of ABC broadcast licenses
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr stated that the agency's decision to conduct an early review of ABC's broadcast licenses was not influenced by external pressure, including from the White House. The review follows President Donald Trump's criticism of Jimmy Kimmel for a joke about Melania Trump and coincides with a broader FCC investigation into diversity, equity, and inclusion practices at Disney. Carr emphasized the action was unrelated to speech, though First Amendment advocates have raised concerns about potential retaliation.
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MediaFCC head says agency was not pressured to order review of ABC broadcast licensesThe agency announced an early review of ABC's eight broadcast licenses a day after President Donald Trump called on the Disney-owned network to fire Jimmy Kimmel.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00FCC Chairman Brendan Carr on Jan. 14 in Washington, D.C.Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call via Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 30, 2026, 5:33 PM EDTBy Daniel ArkinFederal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carrtold reporters Thursday that the White House did not push him to order an early review of ABC’s eight broadcast licenses.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.“There was no pressure from the outside.
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