The FCC is moving up the renewal timeline for some ABC stations.
On Tuesday, an order to file early broadcast license renewals was issued by the Federal Communications Commission to eight ABC-owned and operated television stations. The FCC says the order comes as the O&O stations are being investigated for possible violations of the 1934 Communications Act and the “agency’s prohibition on lawful discrimination.”
The station licenses were not due for renewal until sometime in 2028, but ABC has been directed to file the license renewals by May 28, 2026. Affected ABC O&O stations include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, San Francisco, Raleigh-Durham, and Fresno.
The move is reportedly tied to a year-long investigation into Disney’s DEI practices, according to NBC News. However, it’s notable that the announcement has come following heightened scrutiny on ABC after the Trump administration has once again zeroed in on late-night comic Jimmy Kimmel.
Last week, Kimmel made a joke about the first lady, Melania Trump, during a parody of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Jimmy Kimmel Live, which has since come under fire. The joke, which referenced Melania Trump as an “expectant widow,” was made before a gunman attempted to breach Saturday night’s WHCD, which had the president, the first lady, and Trump administration officials in attendance.
On Monday, the first lady called for Kimmel to be punished by ABC, saying, “Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country. His monologue about my family isn’t comedy—his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America.” She added, “People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate.”
Following her statement, the president and his allies called for Kimmel’s firing, with the late-night comedian responding to the backlash during Monday night’s monologue on his show, saying it was not an assassination joke, but one that highlighted the age difference between the couple.
“It was not by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination, and they know that,” Kimmel said. “I’ve been very vocal for many years, speaking out against gun violence.”
Of course, this is familiar territory with Kimmel and the Trump administration.
In 2025, Kimmel’s comments on Charlie Kirk’s killer caused widespread backlash, resulting in his show being briefly pulled from the air.
