ABC is facing a potential FCC licensing challenge after declining to broadcast Donald Trump‘s speech. Last Thursday, President Donald Trump alleged that U.S. elections had been rigged.
Why is ABC facing a license threat for not broadcasting the Donald Trump speech?
ABC is facing a license threat over not broadcasting Donald Trump’s speech because the FCC chairman Brendan Carr, who was appointed by Trump, has indicated that TV broadcasters are obliged to broadcast the U.S. president’s speech live on the government-licensed airwaves, reports Variety.
Carr also indicated that ABC’s license renewal could be affected, depending on the outcome of the FCC’s review. During his speech last Thursday, Donald Trump had called out ABC, along with NBC, for not broadcasting his comments live. He said the networks should lose their licenses over the decision. Trump has made similar threats against the networks on multiple occasions in the past.
“In a rare move, NBC and ABC fake news have both said that they would not cover this speech. They knew what it was about,” said Trump. “Fraud like this should mean a revocation of their licenses.”
During a press conference on Wednesday, Carr said there would be an open proceeding to review ABC’s decision not to air Trump’s speech. “I’m sure that there are going to be points raised in that proceeding,” he said.
“I think that when you have the president of the United States standing inside the White House delivering an important speech, I think that’s something that broadcasters should be carrying,” Carr added.
Earlier this April, the FCC’s Media Bureau issued an order requiring ABC to reapply for spectrum licenses for its eight owned-and-operated stations. This order came immediately after Trump called for Jimmy Kimmel to be fired over a joke he made about First Lady Melania Trump.
