A source claims Josh D’Amaro defended ABC’s editorial independence and business operations in an interview with CNBC, framing the network’s approach as rooted in “journalistic integrity” amid alleged regulatory scrutiny.
What the source claims D’Amaro said
The source identifies D’Amaro as “Disney CEO” and quotes him as telling CNBC at Disney’s D23 Expo: “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. And we’re not going to be told how to run that side of our business.” The source further quotes him: “Our filings, I think, speak for that. 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.”
Alleged FCC focus and The View
The source asserts that ABC faces investigations tied to broadcast license renewals and alleged violations of political equal-time rules. It specifically cites ABC’s daytime talk show The View as a focus of attention.
According to the source, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr posted a montage video on July 30 to X and wrote that “Disney is arguing to the FCC that its ABC show The View is a ‘bona fide news program.’” The source reports Carr added that “Disney claims that its decisions are based on ‘newsworthiness’—rather than partisan purposes—and thus exempt from political equal time rules,” and noted, “The FCC will make its decision based on all relevant evidence and precedents.”
Business posture, per the source
The source also attributes to D’Amaro that Disney is not considering a spinoff of ABC, ESPN, or other linear networks, quoting him as saying they are still generating cash and have been integrated into streaming. The source reports he pledged continued support and expansion for Disney+.
