ABC and Disney sue FCC, alleging First Amendment violations
ABC and Disney have filed a lawsuit against the FCC, alleging that the agency is retaliating against the network for its news coverage and satire. The lawsuit claims the FCC's unprecedented early review of broadcast licenses is a violation of First Amendment rights intended to appease the Trump administration.
Why it matters
This case highlights significant tensions regarding government oversight of media and the potential for political weaponization of regulatory bodies against news organizations.
The ABC network sued the Federal Communications Commission in federal court Tuesday in a case with major First Amendment implications, arguing that the Trump administration has violated its free speech rights by launching investigations and challenging its broadcast licenses in retaliation for its news coverage, late-night satire and views on talk shows.
ABC and its corporate parent, the Walt Disney Co., allege that the FCC has taken these actions to appease President Trump, who has repeatedly called for the network to be stripped of its licenses in response to material which has sparked his ire.
The network's lawsuit cites Trump's own social media posts which condemn ABC's news coverage, its talk show The View and late night comedian Jimmy Kimmel — who has frequently mocked the president.
The lawsuit starts: "Government censorship is deeply un-American."
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