The Federal Communications Commission is reportedly moving toward evaluating broadcast licenses held by The Walt Disney Company, sources familiar with the situation told reporters. The potential action would take the form of an early license review, a procedure the Commission can initiate to examine whether a licensee continues to meet public interest obligations.
Those same sources cautioned that the Commission may decide against triggering the formal review process. The report noted the timing of any potential review was not directly tied to a recent late-night monologue, and that a decision to carry out an early license assessment is still contingent on the agency's internal deliberations.
The reported developments come after public criticism of a segment on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which was broadcast on ABC - a network operated under Disney Entertainment Television. On Monday, President Donald Trump and the First Lady publicly called for the termination of Jimmy Kimmel following jokes made during a mock White House Correspondents' Dinner skit that aired last week.
In a post on his social platform, President Trump described Kimmel's routine as "a despicable call to violence." The segment in question aired on Thursday on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and occurred days before an unrelated security incident in which a gunman attempted to enter the official White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday.
ABC carries Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and ABC is part of the Walt Disney Company's television operations. The situation as reported centers on whether the FCC will move forward with a review of broadcast licenses, but the sources indicated the agency has not yet made a final determination and could opt not to initiate the review.
At this stage, details remain limited to the account provided by those familiar with the matter, and the Commission has not publicly confirmed the scope or timing of any action. The possible review and the surrounding public statements underline the intersection of broadcast regulatory oversight and contentious public commentary on network programming.
Summary: Sources say the FCC is considering an early review of Disney's broadcast licenses but may choose not to proceed. The reported consideration follows criticism of a Jimmy Kimmel monologue that aired on ABC and public calls from the President and First Lady for the host's firing.