ABC Fires Back at FCC, Alleging a Campaign of “Clearcut … Retaliation” on Behalf of Trump
Twenty-two groups say the FCC’s early renewal order and equal-time probe are unlawful political pressure on Disney and ABC stations.
- A coalition of advocacy groups urged the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday to reject petitions seeking to deny renewal of Disney's ABC broadcast licenses, citing First Amendment concerns.
- FCC Chairman Brendan Carr ordered early license renewal reviews for eight ABC-owned stations this spring, prompting Disney to accuse the agency of waging a "thinly veiled intimidation and retribution campaign" in service to President Trump.
- By Wednesday's deadline, the FCC had received more than 152,000 public comments, with Disney reporting an estimated 96% of respondents—including L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna—wrote to support their local ABC stations.
- The agency is simultaneously scrutinizing whether ABC's The View violated equal-time rules, while Disney has enlisted prominent litigators Beth Wilkinson and Paul Clement to defend its stations in a proceeding that could reach the Supreme Court.
- Regulators are expected to make a determination on the ABC licenses next month, though critics warn establishing such precedents creates a lever future FCCs could use against broadcasters deemed unfavorable by administrations.
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ABC Unleashes: Carr Wants a ‘Media Industry Too Fearful of Official Reprisal to Report the News Freely’
Get in Line or ‘Pay the Price’ In a scathingly-written regulatory filing posted on the Federal Communications Commission’s website on Thursday, ABC’s lawyers tore into Trump administration FCC head Brendan Carr for “attempted censorship” and accused Carr of helping President Trump in his retribution campaign against media that criticizes him.
ABC Complains of 'Retaliation' by Trump Administration
WASHINGTON, July 30 (Reuters) – Walt Disney-owned ABC said on Thursday that the Federal Communications Commission’s threat to revoke the network’s broadcast licenses is part of an unprecedented campaign of intimidation over broadcast content the Trump administration dislikes. ABC said that the Trump administration agency’s nearly unprecedented decision to order an early license review of...
ABC accuses FCC of 'retaliation' as federal agency threatens to revoke Disney's broadcasting licenses
ABC filed a scathing FCC filing claiming the early broadcast license renewal of its stations is retaliation over Jimmy Kimmel and content critical of President Donald Trump.
Disney Escalates Fight With Trump Administration In 109-Page FCC Filing - Real News Now
The Walt Disney Company has sharply escalated its legal battle with the Trump administration, filing a 109-page response accusing the Federal Communications Commission of targeting its ABC television stations for political reasons as a high-stakes licensing dispute moves forward. The dispute centers on the FCC’s decision to conduct an early review of the broadcast licenses for Disney’s eight owned-and-operated ABC stations, including major affil…
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