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A government official has warned that ABC’s broadcast license could be at risk as Disney faces an investigation into its alleged efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in hiring as the Trump administration continues its attempt to curb the practices.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr told Fox News that these practices at Disney, ABC’s parent company, could amount to discrimination.
“If the evidence does in fact play out and shows that they were engaged in race- and gender-based discrimination, that’s a very serious issue at the FCC, that could fundamentally go to their character qualifications to even hold a license,” Carr said in an interview on Monday.
“But we’re going to follow the facts wherever they go.”
Since returning to office, President Trump has issued sweeping executive orders to dismantle DEI policies in schools, federal agencies, and the private sector.
In late March, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Department of Labor from implementing parts of his executive orders in response to a lawsuit filed by a non-profit, Chicago Women in Trades.
DEI refers to policies that promote workplace representation and participation of different genders, races, ethnicities, religions, ages, sexual orientations, disabilities, and classes.
Advocacy groups have criticized Trump’s orders over fears they may deepen inequities, while his supporters have celebrated the move.
Carr announced on Friday that he was investigating whether Disney violates the federal regulatory agency’s equal employment opportunity regulations with its DEI policies.
“The evidence we have so far indicates potentially that Disney and ABC were making employment decisions based on race and gender, including having effectively race-defined affinity groups within the company,” Carr said in Monday’s interview.
“We have evidence that they put quotas in place based on specific demographics.”
The Walt Disney Co. said on Friday it had received Mr Carr’s letter and will engage with the commission.
“We are reviewing the Federal Communications Commission’s letter, and we look forward to engaging with the commission to answer its questions,” Disney told The Hill.
It comes after the regulatory body’s probe last month into NBCUniversal’s parent company, Comcast, over its DEI practices.
Carr sent letters to both Disney and Comcast saying the FCC wants to check the companies “are not promoting invidious forms of discrimination.”
