Trump admin threatens to pull ABC's broadcast license over Disney's DEI practices
Source: The Independent
Tuesday 01 April 2025 10:05 BST
A government official has warned that ABC's broadcast license could be at risk as Disney faces an investigation into its alleged efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in hiring as the Trump administration continues its attempt to curb the practices.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr told Fox News that these practices at Disney, ABC’s parent company, could amount to discrimination.
“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,” Carr said in an interview on Monday. “But we’re going to follow the facts wherever they go.”
Since returning to office, President Trump has issued sweeping executive orders to dismantle DEI policies in schools, federal agencies, and the private sector. In late March, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Department of Labor from implementing parts of his executive orders in response to a lawsuit filed by a non-profit, Chicago Women in Trades.
Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-disney-dei-license-b2725092.html

J_William_Ryan
(2,620 posts)using the authority of the state to silence the press because it refuses to conform to a dictator’s capricious whims.
Lovie777
(17,789 posts)enough. Damn.
JohnSJ
(98,352 posts)ABC will NOT still bend the knee to the orange king and his fascist regime.
What they should do is take this to the f**king supreme court.
Who the f**k does this ignoramus in the WH think he is.
no_hypocrisy
(51,056 posts)isn’t fired?
Harker
(16,012 posts)That's a rhetorical question.
travelingthrulife
(1,990 posts)the tree of democracy with blood. This is what you've been waiting for boys!
Harker
(16,012 posts)PatSeg
(50,033 posts)It is like we're living in some alternate Bizarro world.
Harker
(16,012 posts)Last edited Tue Apr 1, 2025, 11:32 AM - Edit history (1)
It's hard to react rationally and respond effectively in the face of the onslaught of what I think of as "schlock and awe."
Yet we must.
PatSeg
(50,033 posts)and it rather represents the way Trump has done business his entire life - overwhelm and distract every chance you get. Never give anyone a chance to scrutinize your activities by creating ridiculous diversions. As with everything in his life, it is all just show to him.
"Schlock and awe" - apt description.
Harker
(16,012 posts)I hope his ratings tank sufficiently for his sponsors to pull him off the air soon.
PatSeg
(50,033 posts)The crap he's doing isn't good for even the billionaires who have supported him. All their wealth isn't worth much if he destroys the society they live and work in.
Harker
(16,012 posts)yorkster
(2,928 posts)odious phrase. Excellent word choice.
Harker
(16,012 posts)Often, maybe a day or two later, I hear them spoken independently by someone else on a video clip at DU.
Odious is right. I think I might have heard it first from Rumsfeld just prior to the bombing of Iraq.
yorkster
(2,928 posts)March 2003 bombing of Baghdad.
Martin68
(25,352 posts)BumRushDaShow
(150,376 posts)
Martin68
(25,352 posts)BumRushDaShow
(150,376 posts)and makes a negative out of them. They did just that with the slang term "woke" (which is basically "enlightened", "receptive", "perceptive" ) and most recently with the effort dubbed "DEI". Even the word "liberal" became an invective.
Disney went through a whole production with DeSatan in FL and despite the final outcome, managed to weaken him significantly where he was reduced to being a marginalized wacko.
Martin68
(25,352 posts)that in reality the term is no different that all the other terms for liberals and progressive that the Republicans would like to turn into pejoratives. In addition, it seems obvious that Disney is primarily an enormously wealthy corporation whose primary focus is on their stockholder's bottom line. The irony is that Republicans try to portray Democrats a anti-capitalist and t the same time are punishing companies that have adopted DEI policies because it improves their profits.
JCMach1
(28,576 posts)Apparently, no one told Trump this
Miguelito Loveless
(4,900 posts)and got pretty much what he wanted. Disney will look at the balance sheet, see it is cheaper to cave than to fight, and will cave,
JCMach1
(28,576 posts)Mouse plays the long game
liberalgunwilltravel
(759 posts)They want a war? They are going to get it. And it won't be Fucking Goofy leading it.
Vinca
(51,852 posts)sakabatou
(44,495 posts)taxi
(2,125 posts)Would this not affect only the broadcast, and not the wired or Internet users? If that's the case it will be those in the most rural and remote communities that will have fewer viewing choices. Small price to pay for owning the liberals.
LudwigPastorius
(12,100 posts)You know what they say, Trump - fuck your feelings.
mzmolly
(52,067 posts)Free speech my ass!
Irish_Dem
(67,587 posts)underpants
(189,821 posts)Wiz Imp
(4,635 posts)The Federal Communications Commission, an independent federal
agency, does not license broadcast networks, but issues them to
individual broadcast stations that are renewed on a staggered basis for
eight-year periods.
So there is no "ABC Broadcast License" to revoke.
BumRushDaShow
(150,376 posts)i.e., select a local station owned by the network in a blue city, and attempt to pull the WTXF license (ironically also going after the ABC-owned station WPVI here as well).
So in the case of Disney/ABC, they own, for example, L.A.'s KABC-TV (and 2 years after the Disney purchase of ABC, they moved the station close to Disney properties, whereas the radio station with the same call letters is owned by Cumulus).
https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/tv-profile/KABC-TV
License (PDF) - https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/api/download/lm/authorization/25076ff39448107801946b6bbffa1883
License renewal notice 2022 (PDF) - https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/api/download/lm/authorization/25076f9181f47ea901821cc4648f2ac3
samsingh
(18,028 posts)Bengus81
(8,626 posts)Tell that POS we'll see your ass in Court.
LetMyPeopleVote
(161,218 posts)BumRushDaShow
(150,376 posts)Daleuhlmann
(608 posts)This vindictive, old prick isn't fooling me!