Walt Disney Company has filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission seeking regulatory clarity about the public interest obligations of broadcast news programming under current FCC rules. The filing, which centers on ownership requirements for broadcast licenses, comes amid sustained political pressure on Disney regarding the content of The View and other ABC News programming.
The petition has drawn criticism from media freedom advocates who see it as an attempt to use regulatory processes to insulate politically controversial programming from market consequences, and from conservatives who argue the filing demonstrates why regulatory oversight of broadcast media ownership requires reform. The FCC has 60 days to respond to the petition, and the issue is expected to feature in broader congressional debate about broadcast regulation.
