Disney's New CEO Faces First Test

0:00On April 29th, Josh Demaro just stepped in as Disney's new CEO six weeks ago and he's already dodging major heat. The biggest blow is federal regulators ordering a review of Disney's ABC station licenses. It stems from ABC's diversity policies, but it blew up after President Trump called for firing Jimmy Kimmel over jokes about First Lady Melania Trump. Trump jumped in after Kimmel quipped about Melania having the glow of an expectant widow. That sparked backlash, especially with the White House correspondent's dinner getting cancelled over a security breach by an armed intruder. Disney let Kimmel stay on air, where he stood by his comments. Experts see this as a huge early test for Demaro, who came from parks and cruises. Yale's Jeffrey Sauninfeld says it could reveal who he trusts inside the company. Disney's board chair backed him at a Norway conference, calling him world-class and sure to handle it right. Disney owns eight ABC stations in huge markets like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, and San Francisco.

1:03The company says it's fully compliant with rules and ready to fight legally under the First Amendment. This clash might push Disney to rethink its TV business in the streaming era. Analysts call late-night shows like Kimmel's low earners questioning why they're still in it while Demaro sourced the fallout. I'm Cory with the story. That's your US News Today update, AI-powered and always on.