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Editors note: Now we see the start of action taken against MSM, who do not broadcast the “real news“. Several Trump speeches recently made were not covered by any of the main television network
What does this make them? “Fake news“!🌹
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ABC has mounted a forceful legal challenge against the Federal Communications Commission’s review of the broadcast licenses of its eight owned-and-operated television stations, arguing the action amounts to government retaliation against protected speech and threatens the First Amendment rights of all media organizations.
In a filing submitted Thursday to the FCC, the Walt Disney Co.-owned network described the agency’s review as “unprecedented” and accused regulators of targeting ABC because they “dislike the content and viewpoints expressed” on the network’s programming.
“The retaliation against ABC is a signal to every media company in the country: Accommodate the administration’s view of what news coverage should look like or pay the price,” ABC said in its filing.
The dispute centers on the FCC’s review of ABC’s local broadcast licenses serving major markets including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced the review in April, citing concerns over the company’s diversity and inclusion policies.
The review came shortly after late-night host Jimmy Kimmel made jokes critical of President Donald Trump.
ABC argues that federal law permits the government to revoke broadcast licenses only after demonstrating a pattern of significant violations of FCC rules — not because of disagreements over programming or editorial viewpoints.
The network also noted that more than 150,000 comments were submitted to the FCC regarding the review, with the overwhelming majority supporting ABC’s position.
In recent weeks, the company has aired advertisements encouraging viewers in affected markets to contact the FCC and oppose any effort to revoke the stations’ licenses.
The legal battle has drawn attention well beyond ABC.
This week, former FCC officials who served under both Republican and Democrat administrations criticized the agency’s actions, describing the proceeding as “an assault on free speech disguised as regulatory process.”
Disney has also assembled a high-profile legal team to defend the company to work alongside former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement, one of the nation’s most experienced Supreme Court advocates.
The controversy has also generated criticism from a number of prominent conservatives who oppose government involvement in regulating political viewpoints.
They note that Democratic Party-controlled FCC’s have pushed back against efforts to censor and take licenses from conservative media.
Following the 2020 election, several progressive advocacy organizations and Democrat-aligned activists urged the FCC to investigate whether Fox-owned television stations should have their broadcast licenses reviewed or revoked.
They argued that Fox News’ coverage of election fraud claims raised questions about whether Fox’s parent company met the FCC’s public interest standard for holding broadcast licenses.
Petitions were filed asking the FCC to examine the licenses held by Fox Television Stations, and some Democrat lawmakers publicly urged the agency to investigate the company.
The FCC under the Biden administration, however, moved quickly to reject the effort.
The commission emphasized that it does not regulate the editorial decisions of cable news networks such as Fox News and that the legal standards for revoking a broadcast license are narrow and well established.
FCC officials also noted that the agency does not act as the “speech police” and that the Communications Act and the First Amendment impose significant limits on government interference with news content.
The commission ultimately dismissed or declined to pursue the license-related petitions, finding that the allegations did not provide a legal basis for revoking or denying renewal of Fox-owned broadcast licenses.
Several FCC chairmen, including Mark Fowler, who served under former President Ronald Reagan, and Alfred C. Sikes, who served under former President George H.W. Bush, have warned that Carr is moving the agency toward illegal censorship.
“This early license renewal proceeding is unprecedented in the history of the Federal Communications Commission and a grave violation of both the Communications Act and the Constitution,” the coalition of FCC chairs wrote in the filing.”Through this proceeding, the FCC seeks to censor Disney’s and ABC’s speech and send a chilling message to all broadcasters: Carry speech we don’t like at your peril.”
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Rose Rambles... 