By Joseph Pisani

The Federal Communications Commission is investigating Disney for its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, the regulator's chairman said.

"While Disney started as an iconic American company, it recently went all in on DEI," FCC head Brendan Carr said Friday in a post on X.

A Disney spokesman said it is reviewing the FCC's letter. "We look forward to engaging with the commission to answer its questions," the spokesman said.

President Trump has made battling diversity programs a pillar of his administration, signing executive orders to end policies and killing DEI-related jobs in the federal government.

In a departure from the administration's bigger push to cut back regulation, Carr has promised to use the FCC's enforcement powers to combat diversity initiatives in the private sector -- such as scuttling mergers of companies with programs it doesn't approve of.

Many companies have been overhauling their policies, including Alphabet's Google and the retailer Target.

Last month, Disney said it was scrapping some of its diversity projects, including a plan to showcase stories and talent from diverse communities.

Carr, in a letter addressed to Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger, said he was concerned that even though Disney made changes to its DEI programs, the company might still be promoting DEI "in a matter that does not comply with FCC regulations." He said that Disney's policies led to hirings that excluded certain people and led to shows being rejected for not being diverse enough.

The investigation also includes Disney's TV network ABC, Carr said. He opened a similar investigation last month on cable company Comcast and its entertainment unit, NBCUniversal.

In recent years, Disney has found itself in the crosshairs of Republicans who call the company "woke." It was in a monthslong battle with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis after Disney executives in 2022 spoke out against the state's legislation that critics called the "Don't Say Gay" law. The company's live-action remake of "Snow White" was nicknamed "Snow Woke" by some conservative commentators for hiring a Latina actress to play the lead role.

Write to Joseph Pisani at joseph.pisani@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 28, 2025 17:49 ET (21:49 GMT)

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