WASHINGTON DC Apr 29 – The US Federal Communications Commission is ordering an early review of Disney’s television broadcast licences days after President Donald Trump called for the firing of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
Trump had urged ABC – whose parent company is Disney – to pull Kimmel’s show after the comedian joked that Melania Trump had the glow of an “expectant widow”. Kimmel made the remarks days before a gunman fired shots at a gala attended by the Trumps.
In an order on Tuesday, the FCC said it had been investigating Disney’s ABC stations for possible violations, including unlawful discrimination.
A Disney spokesperson told the BBC that ABC and its stations serve the public within FCC guidelines.
The stations “have a long record of operating in full compliance with FCC rules and serving their local communities with trusted news, emergency information, and public‑interest programming”, the company spokesperson said. “Our focus remains, as always, on serving viewers in the local communities where our stations operate.”
