Eight prominent Senate Democrats sent a letter Thursday to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, asking him to rescind the agency's recent order requiring ABC to apply early for television license renewals.

The FCC order, issued last week, requires ABC's eight owned television stations to file renewal applications by the end of May. Under normal scheduling, these licenses were not set to expire until 2028 at the earliest, with some not expiring until 2031.

The Democratic senators protested the commission's action in their letter to Carr, who has aligned himself with President Trump's positions on media regulation. The early renewal requirement represents an unusual departure from standard FCC licensing procedures.

Television broadcast licenses typically follow regular renewal cycles, with stations required to demonstrate they have served the public interest during their license terms. The FCC's authority to require early renewals is generally reserved for cases involving compliance issues or ownership changes.

The letter from Senate Democrats represents the latest tension between the new Republican-led FCC and Democratic lawmakers over media regulation policies. Carr, who previously served as a commissioner under the Trump administration, was recently elevated to chairman.

ABC has not publicly commented on the FCC's licensing order or the timeline for submitting the required renewal applications.