ABC stations challenge FCC order as First Amendment case

ABC and its owned local television stations have formally accused the Federal Communications Commission of unconstitutional overreach, filing paperwork on Thursday to renew their broadcast licenses under protest. The action escalates a months-long dispute into a potential landmark First Amendment case.

The network's objection stems from an FCC order last month demanding early renewal applications for all eight ABC-owned stations, even though their current licenses are not set to expire for several years. In a strongly worded letter, ABC called the FCC's move "unlawful, arbitrary, and unconstitutional," arguing it represents an attempt to punish the broadcaster for protected speech.

The FCC, under Chairman Brendan Carr, has stated the license review is part of a broader investigation into diversity initiatives at ABC's parent company, Disney. The commission's sole Democratic member, Anna Gomez, has publicly rejected that rationale. In a statement on Thursday, Gomez said she was glad to see the stations expose the FCC's actions as what she called "naked political retribution and an unlawful assault on free speech and a free press."

The early renewal demand marks a significant...