FCC Orders a Review of ABC’s Broadcast Licenses

The Federal Communications Commission ordered a review of all station licenses owned by ABC, an extraordinary move to pressure a major television network whose programming has frequently angered President Trump. The FCC said that the action was related to an investigation into ABC’s diversity and inclusion policies. But it came in the middle of a fight this week between President Trump and the network’s late night host, Jimmy Kimmel, that prompted the president to demand that ABC fire Kimmel. The license review represented an escalation by the Trump administration and the president to punish major media outlets for their coverage. President Trump has personally sued several news organizations, including The New York Times, and the Pentagon has tried to sharply restrict news media access. Trump’s FCC chairman, Brendan Carr, has repeatedly threatened to take action against broadcasters, including to take away their valuable station licenses. His agency’s action was the first direct step toward potentially doing so. It is extremely difficult for the government to take away stations’ rights to broadcast; it must be able to make a convincing case that the stations had shown a pattern of violating rules and regulations. Even if the FCC ultimately decides to block the renewal of ABC’s station licenses, the network will have ample recourse in the courts. And it would be able to continue to broadcast as the fight played out. The federal government has never before ordered such a sweeping review of a major television network’s licenses, which allow the companies to broadcast in local markets. All told, ABC owns eight of the more than 200 local stations that carry its programming across the country, in vital markets including New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.