Key facts
- Donald Trump demanded ABC and NBC lose broadcasting licenses.
- Trump suggested networks pay annual fees for using public airwaves.
- He cited unfair coverage of Republicans and conservatives as justification.
- The FCC licenses individual broadcast stations, not networks.
- FCC regulations and the First Amendment limit license revocation based on news content.
Donald Trump has called for broadcast networks ABC and NBC to lose their licenses, citing unfair coverage of Republicans and conservatives. He also suggested these networks should pay millions annually in license fees for using public airwaves, labeling them 'FAKE NEWS' and an 'arm of the Democratic Party.'
However, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) faces significant legal limitations in revoking broadcast licenses based on content. The FCC licenses individual broadcast stations, not the networks themselves. The First Amendment and the law establishing the FCC prohibit censorship and infringing on press freedoms. While broadcasters can face penalties for knowingly publishing false information causing substantial public harm, the FCC generally avoids intervening in complaints about 'one-sided news reports' to uphold journalistic judgment.
Several major television networks split on whether to air Trump's White House address live, which focused on unproven claims about the 2020 election. CNN, ABC, and NBC opted not to air it live, while CBS, Fox News, and MS Now broadcast portions. ABC aired the speech on its streaming service and radio. MS Now host Jen Psaki cut into the speech to push back on his assertions, and CBS also interrupted to bring on anchors. CNN hosted a panel discussion and questioned Trump's claims, with anchor Kaitlan Collins noting his history of false statements about elections. Trump's communications director, Steven Cheung, criticized NBC and ABC as 'cowards' for not airing the speech live.