US communications regulator investigates Disney over DEI practices

The Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) — the top regulator for television and satellite content in the US — says it is investigating The Walt Disney Company and its subsidiary ABC television network to determine whether their employment practices are in line with the commission’s equal employment opportunity regulations.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has written a letter to Disney's Chief Executive Officer, Robert Alan Iger, informing him of the decision. Disney says it will cooperate with the agency during the investigation.

Carr ordered the inquiry amid suspicions Disney and ABC are hiring new staff based on 'Diversity, Equity and Inclusion' (DEI) practices. In a letter to Disney, Carr appreciated the company's track record "churning out box office and programming successes" but pointed out that the company’s attitude towards quality, based on merit, had changed.

“Disney has now been embroiled in rounds of controversy surrounding its DEI policies,” he wrote without going into detail.

In 2022, Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis were involved in a highly-publicised dispute. It revolved around a bill DeSantis supported that restricted certain instructions about sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms.

Opponents decried the bill, calling it homophobic. Disney joined the chorus of criticism that led both sides into an open feud. The public spat ended last year.

Carr says he wants to be sure Disney is not violating FCC regulations “by promoting invidious forms of DEI discrimination.” He admitted the company had taken steps to ensure equal opportunities are given to candidates applying for positions, but added a detailed inquiry was still needed to ensure all standards are being met.

Last month, Disney announced it had changed some policies, including eliminating a website designed to highlight personalities and stories from under-represented communities.

Disney mellowed down some of the social messages that appear before the showing of movies in theatres. Instead of warnings that films include “negative depictions and/or mistreatment of peoples or culture,” the messages have been changed to “this program is presented as originally created and may contain stereotypes or negative depictions.”

US President Donald Trump is not a fan of DEI practices. On his inauguration day, he signed an order — among a slew of executive orders — titled 'Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing'.

The order effectively put an end to all DEI practices within the US federal government. Trump later ordered all federal DEI staff be placed on paid leave and eventually laid off.

The new administration has taken an aggressive posture towards the media on several fronts. Just this week, there were court hearings on the shutdown of US media outlet 'Voice of America'.

The 47th US president has also been entangled in a dispute with The Associated Press over how the news agency refers to the 'Gulf of Mexico', which Trump had moved to rename to the 'Gulf of America'.

Carr has spearheaded the FCC into an activist role since Trump appointed him as its leader. The US agency currently has open investigations into popular networks and broadcasters, such as ABC, CBS and NBC.

Many believe these investigations are politically motivated, as Trump had routinely attacked and labelled them as "fake news" merchants.