Disney and ABC sue Trump's media regulator to stop early licence renewal
The network accuses the administration of retaliation against ABC, as it "disapproves of what ABC broadcasts".
Disney and its eight TV stations are embroiled in a legal battle against the Trump administration's Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The lawsuit alleges that the FCC is pressuring the network to renew its broadcast licenses early, a move the plaintiffs claim is motivated by President Donald Trump's disapproval of ABC's editorial content.
The lawsuit argues that the government's actions amount to censorship, a deeply un-American act. It contends that the FCC's decision to renew the licenses early is unprecedented, with the commission not having done so in over 50 years. The plaintiffs cite Trump's own social media posts as evidence of the FCC's biased motives, including a post where he complained about the "almost 100% negative" coverage ABC has given him and questioned whether their broadcast licenses should be terminated.
Disney and the FCC are set to face off in court, with the plaintiffs requesting a swift hearing and a temporary restraining order.
Written by urgent.news from BBC World's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
