Entertainment
FCC Slams ABC for ‘Ongoing Disinformation Campaign’ Amid Lawsuit
As Disney’s ABC takes legal action against the FCC, the regulator is blasting the entertainment giant for an “ongoing campaign of disinformation” tied to its review of the company’s eight owned-and-operated television stations’ broadcast licenses.
“All broadcasters have a legal obligation to operate in the public interest—even Disney. The FCC has been examining claims that Disney engaged in illegal DEI discrimination for over a year,” an FCC spokesperson told TheWrap. “Disney is obviously very concerned about the FCC’s proceeding, as evidenced by their ongoing campaign of disinformation as well as their decision to ask a court to stop the FCC from further pursuing matters. The FCC will continue to follow the facts and law wherever they lead.”
On Tuesday, ABC filed a First Amendment lawsuit, alleging that the Trump administration has “waged a retaliatory campaign” against the network over its broadcasts. It seeks to block the FCC from “taking or threatening to take any action” against Disney, ABC and its eight owned-and-operated television stations in connection with early license renewal applications.
ABC argued that it has “no alternative means to eliminate these ongoing and immediate threats other than total capitulation to the administration’s demands” and that “over time, those attacks have escalated into express demands that ABC be stripped of its broadcast licenses because of its speech.”
The lawsuit came after Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro warned that ABC would stand up for journalistic integrity and that the company was “not going to be told how to run that side of our business.”
“I like what we do. We tell incredible stories,” D’Amaro added in a CNBC interview on Friday. “I think we do it well. We do it around the world. And we’re going to stay committed to that.”
While FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has maintained that the license renewal review is tied to Disney’s DEI practices, he also suggested that ABC’s decision to limit coverage of President Trump’s primetime address last month could be factored into the review.
In addition to the license renewal, the FCC is reviewing a petition from ABC seeking a “bona fide” news exemption for “The View.” Both reviews come after Carr previously targeted ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” which resulted in the late night host’s temporary suspension.
The final replies in the FCC’s license renewal proceeding closed on Aug. 5, with Disney and ABC receiving thousands of public comments of support. Carr told reporters last month that the agency would “look at the record and decide based on the evidence before us what the next step will be,” but did not set a specific timeline for a decision.
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Entertainment
Disney’s Next ‘Descendants’ Story Taps Sherry Cola, Darren Criss
Disney’s “Hidden Heroes: A Descendants Story” is rounding out its cast, tapping some familiar names for some iconic characters, including Yzma, the Genie and more.
Sherry Cola, best known for “Good Trouble” and “Nobody Wants This,” will play the villainous Yzma from “The Emperor’s New Groove.” Most recently, Cola starred as Lark in “Camp Rock 3,” which is now streaming on Disney+.
Darren Criss will play Jiminy Cricket from “Pinocchio,” while Tony Award winner James Monroe Iglehart will be the Genie from “Aladdin.” Iglehart originated the same role in the Broadway production of “Aladdin.”
Hugo Ateo will play Yzma’s sidekick Kronk, Sean Yves Lessard will play Lumiere from “Beauty and the Beast” and Dan Bakkedahl will star as Yen Sid from “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” in “Fantasia.”
“Hidden Heroes: A Descendants Story” centers on the children of the Genie, Yzma, Kronk and Lumiere, as well as Merryweather from “Sleeping Beauty.” It’s unclear if or how the story will tie into the first five “Descendants” films, but we do know that it’ll be a “music-and-dance-fueled” story, like its predecessors.
“Hidden in the center of each fairy tale is a portal to a secret training facility where the descendants of legendary sidekicks are challenged to join the elite ranks of partners to heroes,” the synopsis reads. “When a villainous duo comes to Sidekick Academy, a group of fresh recruits must band together — without heroes, without parents — using only their new skills to save the fairytale realm before it’s too late.”
So, while hero and villain kids go to Auradon Prep, the children of sidekicks have their own school.
“Hidden Heroes: A Descendants Story” is now in production.
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movies
ESPN Founder Bill Rasmussen Dies At 93
Bill Rasmussen, a sports visionary who founded ESPN in 1979 with his son Scott as the world’s first 24-hour sports television network, died Tuesday at 93 of Parkinson’s disease at his home in Florida.
Shrugging off skeptics, the pioneering Rasmussen – after being fired as communications director of the New England Whalers — acquired space on a communications satellite using a personal credit card. He went door to door to all the major sports leagues, cable operators and potential investors, garnering enough support to launch the Entertainment and Sports Programming network on Sept. 7, 1979. He was the network’s first CEO.
“Bill was a remarkable man — a visionary and an innovator who conceived the idea of a network entirely devoted to sports,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “Quite simply, none of us would be here today if it wasn’t for Bill’s passion and all the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit he put into building ESPN in the late 1970s — key aspects of our company culture that still carry on to this day.”
Rasmussen revealed in 2019 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, a degenerative disease, in 2014.
More to come
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Entertainment
Robin Williams’ Kids Revive Instagram to Combat ‘AI Abuse’ of His Image
Robin Williams‘ children revived the late actor’s Instagram account on Monday, sharing their intention to turn it into a “safe, trusted place” where his work can be shared in order to combat the ongoing “rampant AI abuse” of his image.
Zak, Zelda and Cody Williams shared a joint statement on their father’s Instagram account, writing, “As we recognize what would be our Dad’s 75th year, we’re grateful to see new generations discovering his work while longtime fans continue to celebrate the joy he brought into their lives.”
“As technology evolves, we want this to be a safe, trusted place where the stories, photos, videos, and memories shared reflect his legacy with authenticity, warmth, and care,” the statement continued. “This is our way of sharing his unique talent and humor with the world, including the moments that made us and so many of you laugh, as we remember our Dad’s extraordinary life and work. He continues to inspire us and delight people all over the world.”
The account has been inactive since Williams’ death in 2014. However, in a separate Instagram story shared on her personal account, Zelda Williams offered further insight into her and her siblings’ decision to bring their dad’s social media profile back.
“I’m sorry if anyone found Dad’s old page posting again to be triggering. Believe me, I know it’s a little strange,” she wrote. “Making that space into one where people can find authentic clips and photos of him is one of the best ways we’ve now found to fight back against rampant AI abuse of his voice and likeness on here.”
“Might be a drop in the bucket, but we’re trying,” Zelda concluded. “Sending you all a big hug on this random Monday.”
The Internet has been flooded in recent years with AI-generated videos of deceased celebrities, often referred to as “slop,” and Williams has been the star of countless. With that in mind, it is worth noting that her statement Monday is not the first time Zelda has spoken out about AI videos of her father’s image.
In October 2025, she took to Instagram to ask her followers to stop sending her AI videos of her father.
“Stop believing I wanna see it or that I’ll understand, I don’t and I won’t,” Zelda wrote at the time. “If you’ve got any decency, just stop doing this to him and to me, to everyone even, full stop. It’s dumb, it’s a waste of time and energy, and believe me, it’s NOT what he’d want.”
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