ABC Sues F.C.C. to Block Threat to Its TV Licenses

The network asked a court to stop the agency from taking steps that could force ABC stations off the air and accused the F.C.C. of violating its First Amendment rights.

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By Jim Rutenberg and John Koblin

Aug. 18, 2026, 8:53 a.m. ET

ABC on Tuesday sued the Federal Communications Commission, accusing the agency of infringing on its First Amendment rights. It asked a federal court to stop the F.C.C. from pursuing aggressive regulatory moves that the network said posed an “existential threat” to its operations.

The lawsuit was unusual, a rare example of a major media organization suing the Trump administration over its unrelenting campaign to punish the national press through regulation and lawsuits.

The suit, filed in federal court in Washington, is meant to halt a series of F.C.C. moves that placed the network’s ability to operate in doubt. In the most extreme case, the agency was threatening to strip several ABC stations of their broadcast licenses, which would force them off the air. ABC owns and operates eight local stations that carry its programming across the country, including in major markets like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Like all local stations, they can only operate with licenses controlled by the F.C.C.

The F.C.C., led by its chairman, Brendan Carr, called for an unusual, early review of the broadcast licenses last spring, citing ABC’s internal diversity and inclusion practices. None of the ABC licenses, which have terms of eight years, were up for renewal yet. Mr. Carr’s decision came after the ABC late-night host, Jimmy Kimmel, angered President Trump with a monologue joke.

The F.C.C. did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Jim Rutenberg is a writer at large for The Times and The New York Times Magazine and writes most often about media and politics.

John Koblin covers the television industry for The Times.

See more on: U.S. Politics, Federal Communications Commission, Jimmy Kimmel, Donald Trump

Continue/Read Original Article: ABC Sues Trump Administration Over F.C.C. Threat to Its TV Licenses – The New York Times