Chairman Brendan Carr told reporters on Thursday that the Federal Communications Commission’s early review of Disney’s broadcast licenses is related to diversity, equity, and inclusion investigations into the company, not President Donald Trump’s distaste for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
The FCC launched a review of Disney-owned ABC licenses on Tuesday over the parent company’s DEI policies. This comes as Disney has been under investigation related to claims of “DEI discrimination” since March 2025, Carr said on Thursday.
“I’ve been saying for months that one thing that we’re looking at in that investigation is an early renewal, if that’s where the investigative steps tell us it needs to go,” Carr said. “And I’ve said that publicly on multiple occasions.”
The FCC is investigating Disney and ABC over whether their DEI policies constitute unlawful discrimination. Carr has said the investigation is looking into allegations of “racially segregated spaces” and “racial and identity quotas or preferences” throughout the company.
“We’ve been very clear that we’re holding broadcasters accountable to their obligations, not just public interest standards, but [equal employment opportunity] obligations,” Carr said on Thursday.
He explained during Thursday’s press conference that the FCC launched the early license review after Disney submitted insufficient documentation in response to a letter of inquiry as part of the investigation, according to the commission.
“There’s a view that Disney was not forthcoming with the agency in terms of its document production last week,” Carr said on Thursday. “We don’t need to hash out exactly why that is, but there is a concern that they weren’t.”
“So after saying publicly for weeks and months that one next step in this investigation would be an early renewal, and we got the document production at the end of the last week that we thought Disney was hitting us up with the ‘Okey-Doke,’ we decided to take that next step,” Carr continued.
The early renewal review came just days after the latest chapter in Trump and Kimmel’s feud. Just two days before a gunman allegedly tried to assassinate Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, Kimmel had joked about first lady Melania Trump having a “glow like an expectant widow.” After Saturday’s incident, the Trumps were furious, with both the president and first lady bashing Kimmel’s statement.
“When is ABC Fake News Network firing seriously unfunny Jimmy Kimmel, who incompetently presides over one of the Lowest Rated shows on Television? People are angry. It better be soon!!!” Trump posted on Truth Social Thursday morning.
FCC CHALLENGES ABC LICENSING AFTER REFUSING TO FIRE JIMMY KIMMEL
Carr addressed the timing of the early renewal review in relation to Trump’s comments on Thursday.
“I understand that anything that we do is now framed as ‘in the wake of’ in the headlines, and I understand that’s how it is,” Carr said. “But we got to make these decisions based on where we are in the investigations and what is best for next steps in that enforcement proceeding. And the headlines can be what the headlines are.”