FCC Seeks Dismissal of ABC License Suit Over 8 Local Stations
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 4
FCC Seeks Dismissal of ABC License Suit Over 8 Local Stations
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 4
Summary
Thursday’s filing asked a federal court in Washington to throw out ABC’s lawsuit, arguing the network sued too early because the FCC has not yet moved to revoke any broadcast licenses.
ABC sued last month after the agency opened an unusual early review of licenses for its eight owned-and-operated stations, saying the process itself was being used to chill the network’s speech.
The FCC said the review stemmed from ABC’s deficient responses in a diversity-and-inclusion inquiry and told the court the network had shown only minimal, self-inflicted speech harms.
The case is shaping up as an early legal test of Trump-era pressure on critical media outlets; the review began after Trump publicly demanded ABC fire Jimmy Kimmel. A hearing is set for the week of Oct. 5.