Here at Disney Food Blog, we keep you informed of all Disney news.
Josh D’Amaro at Destination D23, 2023 ©Disney
And now we’re taking a moment to discuss Josh D’Amaro’s response to ongoing commentary from the FCC.
According to Variety, the FCC, or the Federal Communications Commission, has issued several “threats” against ABC shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The View. And at D23 this year, Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro spoke up: “Our position on this is clear. We’re very principled on this. We’re going to stand up to what we believe is journalistic integrity.”
CNN reports that D’Amaro also stated, “We’re not going to be told how to run that side of our business…I like what we do. We tell incredible stories. I think we do it well. We do it around the world. And we’re going to stay committed to that.”
Josh D’Amaro at SXSW 2023 ©Disney
This statement comes months after the FCC review of eight local ABC shows, as well as The View, began. The FCC ordered these reviews back in April, soon after the current Administration was calling for the dismissal of Jimmy Kimmel. FCC Chairman Carr has also claimed that these reviews are a part of a larger investigation into Disney’s DEI policies.
©Jimmy Kimmel Live!
However, the story does not end here. It has also been reported that ABC has filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the FCC. According to ABC’s lawyers, they had “no alternative means to eliminate these ongoing and immediate threats other than total capitulation to the Administration’s demands.”
©ABC
According to CNN, the lawsuit alleges that the current administration has “waged a retaliatory campaign against ABC for a single reason: it disapproves of what ABC broadcasts.” The lawsuit asks the court to issue a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to stop FCC chairman Brendan Carr from moving forward with a challenge of its station licenses.
The lawsuit alleges that the Walt Disney Company has filed this lawsuit “reluctantly,” arguing that there is “no alternative means to eliminate these ongoing and immediate threats other than total capitulation to the administration’s demands.”
ABC Commissary
An FCC spokesperson responded with the following: “The FCC has been examining claims that Disney engaged in illegal DEI discrimination for over a year. Disney is obviously very concerned about the FCC’s proceeding, as evidenced by their ongoing campaign of disinformation as well as their decision to ask a court to stop the FCC from further pursuing matters.”
We will continue to keep you informed on how this situation unfolds, so stay tuned to Disney Food Blog so you do not miss anything.
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Keep up the good fight, Disney! I personally do not want Kimmel and The View to go away or be censored. Trump can call women reporters stupid and all kinds of insults and no one censors him!
I FULLY support Disney pushing back on FCC and filing legal action. GOOD FOR THEM!
If my comment is blocked, its free speech. Just like the veiw and Kimmel.
Hi Dave.
Private blog owners have an absolute legal right to hold, moderate, or reject comments submitted to their sites. Rejecting or deleting comments on a privately owned website is not a violation of free speech. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (and similar constitutional free speech protections globally) restricts government action. It prevents government entities and public officials from suppressing speech, but it does not compel private business owners or individuals to host or publish someone else’s speech. A private website is digital property. Just as a physical store owner can ask a disruptive visitor to leave, a blog owner has total discretion over what appears on their digital space. Websites establish their own comment policies and Terms of Service. Blog managers are legally permitted to enforce standards regarding relevance, spam, harassment, foul language, rumors, or off-topic discussions. The only scenario where comment deletion becomes a First Amendment issue is when the website or social media platform is operated by a government entity or public official acting in an official capacity. Courts have ruled that public officials cannot delete comments or block users simply because they disagree with critical viewpoints, as that constitutes government censorship in a public forum. For any standard commercial, personal, or corporate blog, moderation is fully legal and legally protected.
While I personally do not care for Kimmell or The View. I do strongly believe in our Constitution and support Disney in their stance to protect first amendment rights. However, free speech must not include threats to another, veiled under comedy or otherwise. Similar to yelling “Fire” in a movie theater. Ya can’t do that either.
Disney is definitely on the right side here…but given the current American administration, things could (and very well may) go wildly wrong. I am hoping that at some point, sanity prevails .
Too bad CBS doesn’t value free speech…. Way to go ABC!!