ABC News
U.S. center-left
Background
ABC News traces to the 1943 founding of the American Broadcasting Company after NBC was forced to divest its Blue Network; its news division grew through the mid-20th century into one of the three dominant U.S. broadcast news operations, alongside CBS and NBC. Capital Cities Communications acquired ABC in 1985, and The Walt Disney Company acquired Capital Cities/ABC in 1996 for about $19 billion, folding ABC News into Disney's media empire. Under Disney, ABC News built prominent franchises including 'World News Tonight,' 'Good Morning America,' '20/20,' and 'Nightline,' and later expanded into digital and streaming news. Media bias monitors such as AllSides and Media Bias/Fact Check have long rated it 'lean left' or 'left-center' in story selection and framing, while rating its factual reporting as generally high quality. In 2026, ABC and Disney faced direct political pressure from the Trump administration and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, including threats to broadcast licenses tied to late-night host Jimmy Kimmel's on-air remarks — episodes widely characterized by press-freedom groups as government retaliation against the network. As a corporate-owned outlet, ABC News's coverage decisions are also shaped by Disney's broader commercial interests, including advertiser relationships and its need to avoid alienating large segments of its audience across entertainment and streaming businesses.
Sources
- ABC News - Bias and Credibility - Media Bias/Fact Check
- ABC News Media Bias | AllSides
- Trump administration challenges ABC station licenses amid Kimmel controversy | CNN Business
- Free speech groups say the FCC's Disney/ABC investigation 'reeks of political pretext'
- Disney names parks boss Josh D'Amaro as its next CEO to succeed Bob Iger, effective March 18
- Government Pressure to Suspend Jimmy Kimmel Was an Abuse of Power | ACLU
Profile compiled 2026-09-25; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.