DOJ opposes an emergency hearing over the FCC’s review of ABC’s licences

Disney petitioned a federal judge for an emergency hearing after the FCC placed its eight owned-and-operated ABC stations—New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh and Fresno—into a contested licence-review proceeding. The Justice Department opposed the expedited hearing, saying the order only starts an administrative process that still permits Disney to argue its case and does not address the First Amendment issue. The stations cover a large share of the U.S. audience, making the decision pivotal for Disney’s media restructuring.