Key facts
- ABC and Disney are suing the FCC over an early review of broadcast licenses for eight Disney-owned TV stations.
- The lawsuit alleges the Trump administration is using FCC actions as a retaliatory campaign to punish ABC for its news coverage and programming.
- ABC claims the FCC's actions have led to programming compromises, including avoiding political candidates on 'The View'.
- FCC Chair Brendan Carr denied the agency was acting unlawfully or based on political pressure.
- The FCC requested extensive documentation and information, including political donations from ABC staff.
- The lawsuit cites the network's decision not to broadcast a Trump prime-time address as a point of contention.
ABC and its parent company, Disney, have filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), alleging that the Trump administration has used intimidation tactics to influence the network's programming. The legal action stems from the FCC's unusual decision to conduct an early review of broadcast licenses for eight Disney-owned local TV stations, which ABC argues is a retaliatory campaign aimed at punishing the network for its content.
According to the lawsuit, the administration, particularly President Trump, disapproves of ABC's news coverage and specific on-air comments. This scrutiny, the network claims, has created a 'chilling effect' on editorial decision-making, forcing compromises such as refraining from booking political candidates on its talk show 'The View' for fear of administration retaliation. The FCC's demands during the license review process have included extensive requests for information, totaling 13,000 pages of documents and data on political donations from staff.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr has denied these allegations, stating that the agency is not infringing on free speech rights or acting on Trump's personal dislikes. He emphasized the FCC's role in holding broadcasters accountable to the public interest standard in exchange for the free use of airwaves. However, journalism professor Gabriel Kahn of USC Annenberg described the situation as an example of federal agencies being 'weaponized' against perceived enemies, forcing companies like Disney into costly litigation.
The lawsuit highlights a specific instance where ABC opted not to broadcast a prime-time address by Trump on election security, instead airing it on its streaming service. This decision, made partly due to the 'risk of resulting Administration retaliation,' followed Trump's repeated calls for ABC stations to lose their licenses. The appearance of Democratic candidate James Talarico on 'The View' also triggered an FCC inquiry into equal-time rules, despite a previous exemption for the show.