Trump renews calls to fire Jimmy Kimmel as FCC defends Disney licence review
Updated
Updated · CNN · Apr 30
Trump renews calls to fire Jimmy Kimmel as FCC defends Disney licence review
5 articles · Updated · CNN · Apr 30
On Thursday, Trump warned ABC was in “great jeopardy”, while FCC chair Brendan Carr denied outside pressure over an early renewal process covering eight ABC station licences.
The dispute followed Kimmel’s joke about Melania Trump, after which the first lady and president urged ABC to act; Disney has kept Kimmel on air and says its stations comply with FCC rules.
Democratic commissioner Anna Gomez called the FCC rationale a pretext, while free-expression advocates said the White House pressure and licence challenge amount to retaliation against protected speech.
With Disney preparing a legal defense, what are the real risks that ABC could lose its licenses or face lasting consequences from this controversy?
How might this FCC action influence the future behavior of comedians, broadcasters, or journalists who report on public figures?