FCC Chairman Brendan Carr Announces Disney DEI Investigation
In a letter to Disney CEO Bob Iger, FCC chair Brendan Carr announced that he is opening an investigation into whether Disney or ABC has violated any FCC equal opportunity regulations by “promoting invidious forms of DEI discrimination.”
“Numerous reports indicate that Disney’s leadership went all in on invidious forms of DEI discrimination a few years ago and apparently did so in a manner that infected many aspects of your company’s decisions,” Carr wrote on Thursday.
Photo: Broadcast Breakfast
According to the government official, the investigation will apply to both past and current policies.
Disney Softened Its DEI Language Last Month
Since Donald Trump’s election last November, many companies have reformed their diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.
Last month, Disney softened its content warnings on Disney+, eliminated their Reimagine Tomorrow website, and adjusted some of its corporate metrics.
In his letter, Carr acknowledged these changes but questioned whether they were simply window dressing.
“Although your company recently made some changes to how it brands certain efforts, it is not clear that the underlying policies have changed in a fundamental manner,” he wrote.
Photo: Reimagine Tomorrow
Reflecting on the company’s past practices, Carr singled out Reimagine Tomorrow and a 2020 memo outlining ABC Entertainment’s new Inclusion Standards. The latter directive called for 50% of actors in regular or recurring roles to come from “underrepresented groups.” A similar standard was implemented for creative leadership and production staff.
Disney’s Response
According to NPR, Disney released a statement following Carr’s letter, simply saying, “We are reviewing the Federal Communications Commission’s letter, and we look forward to engaging with the commission to answer its questions.”
Photo: Disney
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