Cantwell & Colleagues Demand FCC Rescind Order for Early License Renewals to Disney Following Trump’s Latest Attacks on Broadcasters

Cantwell & Colleagues Demand FCC Rescind Order for Early License Renewals to Disney Following Trump's Latest Attacks on Broadcasters

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) led their colleagues in a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr, urging the FCC to rescind last week's order requiring Disney to file early license renewals for its eight ABC broadcast stations.

The FCC order, at Chairman Carr's directive, came just one day after President Donald Trump publicly demanded ABC fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel and is the latest effort by President Trump and Chairman Carr to weaponize the FCC's authorities to target broadcasters.

In the letter, the Senators wrote, "The campaign against Disney and its editorial decision-making, culminating in last week's early-renewal order, is an egregious abuse of power and a clear violation of the First Amendment. Although the FCC has the authority to ensure broadcasters operate in the public interest, it cannot serve as President Trump's roving censor, threatening to revoke licenses against broadcasters whose editorial content - including a comedian's jokes - displeases the President. In fact, before serving as chairman, you frequently recognized the importance of the First Amendment and the freedom of speech, including for comedians. As you previously explained: 'From Internet memes to late-night comedians, from cartoons to the plays and poems as old as organized government itself - Political Satire circumvents traditional gatekeepers & helps hold those in power accountable. Not surprising that it's long been targeted for censorship.' Now, you are doing exactly that - targeting political satire for censorship."

Senators John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Brian Schatz (D-HI) co-signed the letter.

The Senators request answers by May 21, 2026, to questions including:

1. What internal legal review, including by the Office of General Counsel, was conducted before the order was issued?
2. Did you consider, but reject, any less aggressive enforcement steps prior to issuing the order?
3. The Commission issued a procedurally similar early-renewal order against Bridge News, LLC on April 27, 2026 - one day before the Disney order. Did you intentionally time the orders so that the Bridge News order would precede the Disney order in the public record?
4. Please provide a status update on each open FCC investigation into Disney or its ABC stations.
5. Please describe the justification for issuing the early-renewal order amidst these ongoing investigations.
6. Between April 22, 2026, and April 28, 2026, did you, your staff, or any other FCC personnel communicate with the White House, any other component of the Executive Office of the President, or any individual acting on their behalf regarding Disney, ABC, Jimmy Kimmel, or the early-renewal order?
7. Please identify each prior instance in which the Commission has invoked 47 CFR § 73.3539(c) to call in the licenses of a broadcaster for early renewal, including a summary of the grounds for each instance.

Last September, in the wake of ABC's suspension of Kimmel, Sen. Cantwell strongly defended free speech and condemned the actions of Chairman Carr.

1. Following the announcement of Mr. Kimmel's suspension, Sen. Cantwell issued a statement that Chairman Carr lacks the authority to police free speech and connecting the firing to Nexstar's $6.2 billion purchase of Tegna, at the time pending before the FCC for approval.
2. She joined Democratic members of the Commerce Committee in sending a letter to Chairman Carr demanding that he immediately stop threatening media organizations over content the Trump Administration does not like, in violation of the First Amendment.
3. Sen. Cantwell led Democrats on the Committee demanding Chair Cruz call Chairman Carr to testify before the Committee following his threats to use the regulatory power of the FCC to compel ABC to fire comedian Jimmy Kimmel.
4. She also appeared on MSNOW's Morning Joe to defend to defend freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

The full text of the letter is HERE.