ABC is taking President Donald Trump\u2019s Federal Communications Commission to court, accusing the powerful broadcast regulator of using its licensing authority to punish speech the administration does not like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a First Amendment lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, ABC alleged that the administration has carried out a politically motivated campaign against the network through the FCC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cActing through the Federal Communications Commission, the Administration has waged a retaliatory campaign against ABC for a single reason: it disapproves of what ABC broadcasts,\u201d the lawsuit states, according to Mediaite and Deadline<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The network said the attacks have escalated from public criticism of its journalism and programming to \u201cexpress demands\u201d that ABC be stripped of broadcast licenses because of its speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the center of the case is an unusual FCC order requiring eight ABC-owned local stations to apply for license renewals years ahead of schedule. The stations serve New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, San Francisco, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno. Their licenses were not otherwise set to expire until between 2028 and 2031.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ABC is seeking a temporary restraining order as well as preliminary and permanent injunctions to stop the accelerated review, The Wall Street Journal reported<\/a>. The FCC did not immediately comment on the new lawsuit, according to the Journal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has rejected claims that the review is punishment for ABC\u2019s programming. He has said it stems from a previously opened investigation into Disney\u2019s diversity, equity and inclusion practices and whether the company complied with federal employment rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ABC argues that explanation is a pretext.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The legal showdown follows months of escalating pressure on the network. In February, Carr confirmed that the FCC had begun enforcement proceedings involving The View<\/em> and the federal equal-time rule after the program featured political candidates. Carr questioned whether the daytime show qualifies for the rule\u2019s exemption for bona fide news programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then in April, the FCC ordered the eight ABC stations into early renewal proceedings one day after Trump and first lady Melania Trump called for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel to be fired over an \u201cexpectant widow\u201d joke. Carr denied that the timing was retaliatory, saying the action was tied to the agency\u2019s DEI investigation and Disney\u2019s response to document requests, The Guardian reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The dispute intensified again in July. After ABC declined to preempt its prime-time schedule for a Trump address, Carr said that editorial decision would factor into the FCC\u2019s license review, The Desk reported<\/a>. Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez responded that broadcasters\u2014not the government\u2014decide what news and speeches to carry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ABC accused the agency of \u201cattempted censorship\u201d in a July filing and warned that the stakes extend far beyond one network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe retaliation against ABC is a signal to every media company in the country: accommodate the Administration\u2019s view of what news coverage should look like or pay the price,\u201d the network wrote, according to Mediaite<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The network says its stations easily meet the legal standard for renewal and notes that they have held their licenses for decades while providing local journalism and emergency coverage. ABC also said more than 150,000 comments were filed in the FCC proceeding, with over 95% supporting renewal, TheWrap reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A bipartisan group of former FCC chairs, commissioners and senior officials has also urged the agency to end the early review, describing it as unprecedented and warning that it could chill broadcasters nationwide. Conservative organizations, including the Media Research Center and the Center for American Rights, have pushed in the opposite direction, asking the FCC to deny the renewals over alleged bias and discrimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n