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Trump Urges FCC to Target NBC and ABC, Threatens License Revocations and Heavy Fees

FCC rules that license individual stations for eight years create significant First Amendment hurdles to punishing entire networks.

Overview

  • In weekend posts on Truth Social, President Trump called NBC and ABC a threat to democracy, labeled them “fake news,” accused them of being a Democratic Party arm, and pressed for revocations or multi‑million‑dollar annual charges.
  • No license actions have been announced, with Disney declining comment and Comcast not responding to questions reported Monday.
  • Under federal law the FCC licenses individual stations on eight‑year terms rather than entire networks, complicating efforts to cancel or levy fees based on perceived editorial bias.
  • FCC Chair Brendan Carr has pursued oversight steps, citing bias‑mitigation conditions in approving the CBSSkydance merger, while Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez warns such scrutiny conflicts with newsroom judgment protected by the First Amendment.
  • Separately, Trump signed an executive order urging federal prosecutors to pursue criminal charges for flag burning during protests.