FCC to probe Disney over DEI practices: ‘Going to get to the bottom of everything’
The Federal Communications Commission launched an investigation into Disney over its controversial diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, as the agency intensifies its pushback against what it deems “woke” initiatives.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr sent Disney CEO Bob Iger a strongly worded letter informing him of the probe into whether the DEI initiatives violated the equal employment opportunity regulations at the Mouse House and its subsidiary, ABC.
Carr emphasized the need for Disney to “end any and all discriminatory initiatives in substance, not just name” and demanded a thorough accounting of Disney and ABC’s DEI programs, policies and practices, according to the letter reviewed by The Post.
Carr’s missive highlights several specific practices under scrutiny, including the company’s “Reimagine Tomorrow” initiative, mandatory “Inclusion Standards,” and what he described as racially-segregated affinity groups.
Carr argued these efforts potentially violated FCC rules by embedding race- and gender-based criteria across various levels of Disney’s operations, including hiring practices and production staffing.
“Disney started out a century ago as an iconic American company. For decades, Disney focused on churning out box office and programming successes. But then something changed. Disney has now been embroiled in rounds of controversy surrounding its DEI policies,” Carr wrote Thursday.
He noted particularly concerning aspects, such as requiring that “50 percent of regular and recurring characters” come from underrepresented groups and imposing quotas on writers, directors, and crew.
“Promoting invidious forms of discrimination cannot be squared with any reasonable interpretation of federal law,” Carr wrote.
“Doing so only deprives Americans of their rights to fair and equal treatment under the law.”
A Disney spokesperson told The Post on Friday: “We are reviewing the Federal Communications Commission’s letter, and we look forward to engaging with the commission to answer its questions.”
This investigation comes amid a broader crackdown by Carr, who stated in an interview with Punchbowl News on Thursday that the FCC would closely monitor companies embracing DEI initiatives, warning such practices could affect merger approvals and regulatory reviews.
Disney’s shares fell more than 2% on Friday. The company’s stock has declined nearly 17% over the past year and about 9% year-to-date.
Disney previously announced it would end its “Reimagine Tomorrow” initiative, though Carr expressed skepticism about whether substantial policy changes had truly occurred.
The move by Carr, who was appointed by President Trump, adds further complexity to Disney’s ongoing public controversies, including recent shareholder debates around DEI policies and a $15 million settlement by ABC News in a defamation suit brought by Trump.
Disney has faced backlash over its DEI efforts, notably regarding the casting choices of Rachel Zegler as Snow White and Halle Bailey as Ariel in “The Little Mermaid,” prompting public debate over fidelity to original character portrayals.
In 2021, Disney announced that Zegler, a Latina actress, would portray Snow White in the just-released live-action adaptation, which has been panned by critics and which subsequently bombed at the box office during its opening weekend.
This casting decision led to significant uproar, with critics arguing that Zegler’s ethnicity did not align with the character’s traditional depiction as having “skin as white as snow.”
Similarly, Disney’s casting of Bailey, a black actress, as Ariel in the live-action remake of the animated classic sparked similar debates.
