ABC sues the FCC over Trump and Carr’s campaign of threats

ABC is suing the Federal Communications Commission over claims the agency “waged a retaliatory campaign” against its networks over the content they broadcast. In a lawsuit filed in federal court on Tuesday, ABC and its parent company Disney accuse the FCC of “punishing ABC for its speech” by threatening its broadcast licenses.

It’s the latest escalation in the dispute between ABC and the Trump administration, which has been critical of the network’s political coverage — especially by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel and The View. The FCC opened an investigation into The View’s airtime of political candidates in February and ordered ABC stations owned by Disney to file for an early license renewal in April. ABC fired back with a series of letters slamming the FCC’s decision, claiming it will chill free speech. It also didn’t broadcast President Donald Trump’s July 16th speech on its linear channels and streamed it on ABC News Live instead.

ABC’s lawsuit alleges the Trump administration has “steadily increased the pressure” on its networks over the past several months, claiming the latest attack on its broadcast licenses “underscores the Commission’s true purpose: coercing and retaliating against a network that refuses to bow to the Administration’s demands.” Bloomberg reported in July that the FCC could take action against ABC and Disney as soon as this month.

ABC and Disney are seeking a court order halting the FCC’s broadcast license renewal proceedings.

In a statement to CNBC, an FCC spokesperson says, “Disney is obviously very concerned about the FCC’s proceeding, as evidenced by their ongoing campaign of disinformation as well as their decision to ask a court to stop the FCC from further pursuing matters.” The FCC will “continue to follow the facts and law wherever they lead,” the spokesperson adds.

“The consequences of the Administration’s campaign against free speech reach well beyond ABC,” ABC’s lawsuit claims. “If the Administration gets its way, the message to every media company in the country will be unmistakable: tell only the stories the Administration deems favorable, or face the coercive machinery of the federal government. In such a world, the press could in no way be described as free.”

Update, August 18th: Added a statement from the FCC.