Disney and its ABC network filed a lawsuit in the United States against the Federal Communications Commission on August 18, 2026, alleging the Trump administration is targeting the broadcaster because it "disapproves of what ABC broadcasts."
The suit, reported by BBC News and the Financial Times, names the FCC as the defendant and seeks to halt an early licence renewal review the agency has opened against ABC. Disney and ABC contend that review is retaliatory rather than routine.
The FCC is also investigating ABC's talk show The View and challenging ABC broadcast licences more broadly, according to NPR. The lawsuit alleges those actions amount to a violation of ABC's First Amendment rights.