The American government agency which regulates television affirms that it opens an investigation into Disney diversity and inclusion practices, in the latest sign of pressure applied to media companies.
The president of the Federal Commission Commission (FCC), Brendan Carr, sent a letter Friday, in Disney, informed the company, and its unit of news ABC, of the plan.
He declared that this decision had been aroused by concerns that the company promoted diversity “in a way that does not comply” to government regulations.
A Disney spokesman said the company examined the letter.
“We look forward to getting involved with the commission to answer his questions,” Disney spokesperson said in a statement.
Disney’s FCC survey is also involved in the midst of a broader repression of practices by the Trump administration, with impacts beyond the United States.
French companies with American government contracts have received a letter from the American Embassy in France this week, asking them to connect and comply with Trump’s executive order prohibiting Dei programs.
The order, according to the letter, “applies to all the providers and service providers of the American government, whatever their nationality and the country in which they operate”.
In a letter addressed to Robert Iger, the Disney Director of Disney, the president of the FCC, Carr, said that he wanted to make sure that the media company “puts an end to all the discriminatory initiatives in substance, not only on behalf”.
He added: “I want to determine if Disney actions – whether in progress or recently finished – compared at any time with applicable FCC regulations.”
Carr has been a member of the FCC since 2017 and was appointed to lead the agency by Trump in November.
Since he was appointed to the position, he has examined the examination of media companies, launched probes on NPR and PBS and demanding information from large technological companies, in particular Apple and Google, on their use of services that influence the way press articles are classified.
The FCC has also announced surveys on Verizon and Comcast and its media unity, nbcuniversal on their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Disney, better known for its cartoon classics and themed parks, has made changes to its policies before this year.
“Although I have seen information that Disney recently fell for some of its Dei programs, important concerns remain,” said Carr in the letter.
“I want to make sure that Disney and ABC have not violated the regulations on the equal opportunities for the employment of the FCC by promoting prompt forms of discrimination of Dei,” he said.
Carr said he wanted information on the rules governing the representation of diversity in his characters, among other initiatives.
The investigation is not the first time that Disney has been a political target.
Last year, he agreed to pay $ 15 million to settle a defamation trial brought by Donald Trump after an anchor ABC falsely declared that the president was tried “responsible for rape”.
A New York jury had previously determined that Trump was responsible for “sexual abuse”, which has a specific definition under the New York law.
Florida Republican Governor Ron Desantis also spent years arguing with Disney, after the company criticized a state law, known as “Do’t’t Say Gay” which has restricted the teaching of sexuality in schools.
Disney has previously been a target of the Conservatives for having allegedly adopted “awakened” messages in his films.
