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April 28, 2026
FCC Orders Early License Renewal for ABC Stations Following Kimmel's Controversial Joke
- The FCC has mandated ABC to renew licenses for its eight stations within 30 days, despite them not being due until 2028.
- FCC Chair Brendan Carr criticized Disney's policies and hinted at potential further actions against broadcasters not aligning with public interest.
- Senator Elizabeth Warren and others argue that the FCC's actions pose a threat to press freedom and act as intimidation against dissenting media.
9 Sources
- FCC plans to challenge ABC station licenses amid Kimmel controversyApr 28, 2026 at 4:23 PM · CNN
- Trump-aligned FCC plans to challenge ABC’s licenses with early reviewApr 28, 2026 at 5:25 PM · CNN
- FCC to review Disney broadcast licenses after Jimmy Kimmel joke about Melania TrumpApr 28, 2026 at 6:49 PM · BBC
- FCC orders review of ABC licenses after Jimmy Kimmel’s Melania Trump jokeApr 28, 2026 at 7:07 PM · The Guardian
- First Amendment advocates blast the FCC's early review of ABC broadcast licensesApr 28, 2026 at 8:36 PM · NBC
- FCC orders review of ABC's broadcast licensesApr 28, 2026 at 8:39 PM · Axios
- FCC orders early license renewal for ABC stations following Kimmel's first lady jokeApr 28, 2026 at 8:52 PM · NPR
- FCC orders early review of Disney’s TV licensesApr 28, 2026 at 11:09 PM · NBC
- Kimmel-Trump clash continues as FCC launches early review of ABC's broadcast licensesApr 29, 2026 at 1:11 AM · CBS News