By Raul Castillo
The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Tuesday ordered ABC to advance the renewal of the licenses of all its television stations, an unusual measure that places the network under review amid growing tension with Donald Trump’s administration.
The decision obliges The Walt Disney Company and its subsidiary ABC to present, within a period of 30 days, applications for renewal of their stations, despite the fact that the ordinary calendar set this process for 2028. The deadline established by the agency is May 28, 2026.
In its resolution, The FCC maintained that advancing the process is “essential” to protect the public interestwithin the framework of an investigation into the company’s compliance and inclusion policies.
The review covers eight ABC-owned stations in some of the most important television markets in the country, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia.
Clash between Trump and Kimmel
The measure comes as the confrontation between Trump and host Jimmy Kimmel intensifies, on the ABC network, after the comedian performed a parody on his program about the White House correspondents’ dinner.
In that segment, Kimmel made fun of the first lady, Melania Trump, with comments that provoked a strong reaction from the White House.
After the sketch was broadcast, Melania described the content as “rhetoric of hate and violence” aimed at dividing the country and demanded that ABC act on it.
Shortly after, Trump joined the criticism and publicly demanded the driver’s dismissal, considering that his words constituted a “despicable call to violence.”
Kimmel rejected those accusations during his show Monday night. He insisted that his comments were part of a humorous routine and denied that they could be interpreted as inciting violence.
Although the FCC justified its decision with an appropriate provision that allows it to anticipate the renewal of licenses when it deems it necessary for an investigation, the action has been seen by critics and observers as aAn escalation in pressure from the Trump administration on the media for their editorial coverage.
With information from EFE.
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