Trump threatens to revoke licenses of US networks for not carrying primetime speech
Trump accused networks of censorship after ABC, NBC and CNN skipped his address, while Fox carried it live and the FCC weighed possible license action.
- President Trump called for the broadcast licenses of major networks to be revoked, accusing them of being part of a "plot" to protect the political left after they declined to air his primetime national address on their main television channels.
- ABC, NBC, and CNN opted out of traditional broadcast coverage, choosing instead to redirect viewers to their lower-traffic digital streaming platforms or radio channels. The decision came amid heavy pressure from some Democrats who urged networks not to provide a live platform for what they anticipated would be debunked election claims.
- The White House address focused heavily on election security, with Trump using the primetime slot to declassify a trove of intelligence documents that he claimed exposed vulnerabilities, foreign interference by China, and systemic corruption ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
- CBS and Fox News did carry the address live, though with caveats. While Fox News carried the full speech, CBS anchor Tony Dokoupil prefaced the broadcast by warning viewers that much of Trump's previous rhetoric on the topic was false, and the network cut away after 15 minutes to fact-check the president's statements. 5. Legal and media experts note that networks have broad First Amendment protections to make their own editorial decisions, meaning the federal government cannot legally pull licenses over programming choices. However, the threat comes at a tense time, as the FCC is already weighing regulatory actions against ABC's parent company, Disney, regarding separate equal-time rule complaints.
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Raging Trump smacked with 'brutal' response after demanding networks lose licenses
A top FCC official pushed back Friday on President Donald Trump's demand that the agency revoke the broadcast licenses of ABC and NBC after the networks refused to air his primetime address, according to reports.FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the only Democrat on the FCC, made her position known in a ...
Mooresville Tribune
Trump threatens network licenses for not carrying speech
President Trump's primetime address on election security aired on CBS, Fox, and digital platforms of ABC, NBC, and CNN, while ABC and NBC chose not to broadcast it on their main TV channels, sparking controversy over media coverage and First Amendment rights.
Two of America's three main television networks, NBC and ABC, as well as CNN, did not air Donald Trump's prime-time address on Thursday, prompting the US president to say they were involved in a conspiracy and should have their licenses revoked.
The Republican attacked ABC and NBC for their decision not to broadcast his remarks live and unfiltered. Fox News, condemned for spreading election misinformation in 2020, covered the speech cautiously.
Trump threatens to revoke licenses of networks for not carrying speech | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
NEW YORK >> Two of the three major U.S. television networks and CNN did not broadcast a prime-time address on Thursday by President Donald Trump on their primary platforms, drawing a rebuke from a president who has placed unprecedented pressure on American media.
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