Washington, D.C., July 30th, 2026, NewsDirect
A coalition of labor unions, media advocates, and public interest organizations today filed a brief urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to end its unprecedented early license-renewal proceeding targeting Disney-owned ABC television stations. The filing argues that the proceeding violates the First Amendment by using the FCC’s licensing authority to pressure a broadcaster over its editorial decisions and perceived political viewpoints, threatening press freedom and setting a dangerous precedent for broadcasters nationwide.
The coalition includes Locals 41 and 51 of the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians–Communications Workers of America (NABET-CWA), The NewsGuild–Communications Workers of America (TNG-CWA), the Media and Democracy Project, Public Knowledge, and the United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry. The organizations are represented by Democracy Forward and G Squared Strategies.
The coalition argues that the FCC’s proceeding violates the First Amendment by targeting a broadcaster because government officials disapprove of its programming and editorial decisions. The filing points to repeated public calls by President Trump to revoke ABC’s broadcast licenses – including after the network declined to interrupt its regular programming to air one of the President’s speeches – as well as public statements by FCC Chairman Brendan Carr suggesting the network’s programming decisions would factor into the agency’s review. The organizations urge the FCC to terminate the proceeding and deny petitions seeking to block or impose conditions on the renewal of licenses held by ABC stations KFSN, KABC, KGO, WLS, WABC, WTVD, WPVI, and KTRK.
The filing details how the proceeding marks an unprecedented departure from the FCC’s longstanding approach to broadcast license renewals. For the first time, the Commission has demanded the early renewal of all licenses owned by a major broadcast network amid repeated public calls from President Trump to revoke ABC’s licenses and statements from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatening consequences for programming decisions that displeased the administration.
The First Amendment prohibits the government from using its regulatory authority to retaliate against disfavored speech or pressure broadcasters to change their content. The filing warns that the proceeding itself has already sent a chilling message to broadcasters: editorial decisions that offend those in power may place their licenses, businesses, and employees at risk.
The filing also urges the FCC to reject proposals that would require ABC stations to alter their programming, hiring, interviews, editing, and coverage to satisfy the ideological preferences of the government or outside groups. Such a system would place federal regulators in the role of determining which political viewpoints receive airtime.
The organizations further warn that allowing this proceeding to continue would establish a dangerous precedent that could be used by administrations in the future. Broadcasters could face repeated license-renewal proceedings, government scrutiny, and regulatory threats whenever their coverage or programming conflicts with the preferences of those in power.
“With more than 50 years of experience in the broadcast industry – I never expected to see the FCC and an administration pressure broadcast stations with early license renewals. The intimidation from the threats (and now overt actions) weakens our already strained news environment – at a time when we need investigations and vigorous news coverage. It is not legal, and yet we will never know how many stories were missed out of fear of retribution. NABET-CWA Local 51 stands by the First Amendment and in support of a return to the law at the FCC,” said Carrie Biggs-Adams, President of NABET-CWA Local 51.
“The Media and Democracy Project (MAD) is proud to join this effort to stand up to abuse-of-power and attacks on the First Amendment. The Trump Administration’s assaults on the First Amendment are accelerating: from subpoenaing journalists’ records to calling for premature license renewals for Disney-ABC stations. These should offend all sensible Americans regardless of party affiliation,” said Milo Vassallo, Executive Director of The Media and Democracy Project.
“Broadcast licenses are not political favors, and broadcasters should serve their communities, not answer to the whims of the White House or its willing enablers at the FCC. The Constitution forbids every step the FCC has taken so far in its threats against Disney and its ABC stations. While it is bound to lose any eventual court challenge, the chilling effects of its campaign against the First Amendment are already being felt in the broadcast industry. The message is clear: make us happy, or put your licenses at risk. Thankfully, Disney has realized that no amount of capitulation will ever be enough for this administration, and is fighting back. Public Knowledge is happy to take its side and hopes its resolve will be emulated by other organizations threatened for coverage the administration dislikes, or for not towing the official line,” said John Bergmayer, Legal Director of Public Knowledge.
“For more than a year, most major media companies have stood by or aggressively acquiesced as President Trump and FCC Chair Brendan Carr pressured them through lawsuits and baseless investigations. Every time a company bowed to Carr, he went further. The goal is to make every broadcaster think twice and fear a long legal battle before airing something the White House does not like. We are glad to stand up alongside Disney, owner of local ABC stations, as they push back against the most recent attack on the media. More companies should think about democracy and freedom, rather than political expediency. It is because broadcasters are powerful influences on society that they are targets. And it is for that reason that broadcasters’ public interest obligations to the communities they serve must remain paramount and enforced in full compliance with due process, not via the abusive circumstances that are being used now,” said Cheryl A. Leanza, Policy Advisor, United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry.
“The Trump-Vance administration cannot be permitted to turn broadcast licenses into political weapons,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “This unprecedented effort sends an unmistakable message to broadcasters: change your coverage and silence voices the president dislikes, or risk the power of the federal government being used against you. That is an abuse of authority and a direct threat to the freedoms the First Amendment guarantees. Broadcasters must remain free to make independent editorial decisions without fear of retaliation from any president or administration, and we will continue working alongside our clients to defend that freedom.”
The legal team at Democracy Forward in this matter includes Bradley Girard, Kali Schellenberg, Cynthia Liao, and Paul Wolfson.
Read the filing here.
Contact
Executive Director
Milo Vassallo
The Media and Democracy Project
[email protected]