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FCC to call in Disney stations for early license review in wake of ABC's Jimmy Kimmel controversy
By Brian Flood
Published April 28, 2026
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is expected to call the licenses of Disney for early license review as soon as Tuesday, marking a significant escalation in tensions between the media giant and the Trump administration, Fox News Digital has confirmed.
Disney-owned ABC affiliates will have to prove to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr that they have been operating in the public interest. The licenses are not up for renewal for several years, but the FCC plans unprecedented action to accelerate their renewal on the heels of Jimmy Kimmel’s controversial "expectant widow" comment last week that prompted President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump to call for his termination.
Citing "people familiar with the matter," Semafor first reported that the FCC would move toward a review of Disney’s broadcast licenses. The same report suggested the commission could decide not to follow through, but an FCC source told Fox News Digital that Disney-owned stations will indeed be called in for a full suite of reviews by Carr’s FCC.
JIMMY KIMMEL REMAINS DEFIANT, INSISTS 'EXPECTANT WIDOW' JAB AGAINST TRUMPS WAS ABOUT AGE DIFFERENCE
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr will seek to ensure Disney’s ABC stations are operating in the public interest. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Rare Impact Fund)
The FCC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The request is not expected to specifically mention Kimmel by name, but will instead be painted as a broad look at everything the Disney-owned stations air over publicly owned airwaves.
Kimmel did not apologize for the "widow" remark on his show Monday, instead doubling down by saying he clearly wasn't calling for the president's assassination, and it was instead a reference to the first couple's age difference.
"It was a very light roast joke about the fact that he's almost 80, and she's younger than I am. It was not, by any stretch of the definition, a call to assassination — and they know that," Kimmel said on Monday. "I've been very vocal for many years speaking out against gun violence in particular, but I understand that the first lady had a stressful experience over the weekend, and probably every weekend is pretty stressful in that house."
EX-OBAMA AIDE CALLS ON KIMMEL TO APOLOGIZE FOR ‘TASTELESS’ JOKE AHEAD OF ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
The widow joke, which he made last week before Saturday night's shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, has come under fire in the wake of another apparent attempt on the president's life. The suspected assailant at the dinner, who rushed a security checkpoint and opened fire, reportedly told authorities he wanted to target top Trump administration members.
The shooting led to the evacuation of the Trumps and Cabinet members in attendance, and the dinner was canceled and is expected to be rescheduled. As the chaos unfolded, footage of Kimmel’s "widow" jab went viral and both Trump and the first lady called for ABC to act.
"Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country. His monologue about my family isn’t comedy — his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America," Melania Trump posted on X.
DISNEY UNDER FIRE AS ABC GRAPPLES WITH ANOTHER JIMMY KIMMEL CONTROVERSY
The Daily Beast admitted an article about first lady Melania Trump and President Donald Trump that relied on allegations made by journalist Michael Wolff didn’t meet company standards. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
"People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate. A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him. Enough is enough," the first lady continued. "It is time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community."
The president later posted on Truth Social that Kimmel should be fired. The late-night host has been a staunch foe of the administration and mocks the White House on a nightly basis.
Last year, Kimmel was briefly suspended by Disney after controversial remarks about the assassination of Charlie Kirk sparked outrage, and ABC said the show would be preempted indefinitely. He returned to the air days later and insisted he never intended to make light of Kirk’s death, which he had suggested was perpetrated by a MAGA supporter.
Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, the 31-year-old accused of targeting top Trump administration officials, is facing three counts, including attempting to assassinate the President of the United States, transporting a firearm across state lines and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Top DOJ officials said Monday that additional charges are expected, and he faces life imprisonment.
Disney and ABC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/fcc-call-disney-stations-early-license-review-wake-latest-issue-abc-jimmy-kimmel