The network ABC has accused the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of abusing broadcast licensing renewals to attack its parent-company Disney on behalf of President Donald Trump.
\n\nDisney issued its claims in a new federal court filing that challenged the Trump administration’s “justification for ordering early license renewals for all eight ABC-owned television stations, years before their licenses were set to expire,” per TheWrap.
\n\nAt issue is whether the FCC is pursuing a legitimate regulatory investigation or retaliating against a broadcaster over programming that has drawn criticism from President Donald Trump.
\n\nDisney’s attorneys pointed to government attorneys’ acknowledgment during an Oct. 6 hearing that other enforcement tools were available, arguing that the agency’s decision not to use them undermined its stated justification for the reviews.
\n\n“These are not merely ‘theoretical[]’ tools… they have been used by the agency for decades. Yet the agency tried none of those less intrusive tools here, instead taking the unprecedented step of calling for early license renewal of all eight ABC-owned stations at once,” Disney’s attorneys argued.
\n\n“Defendants’ own admissions leave no doubt as to why — Defendants sought to inflict maximal coercive pressure on the media company whose speech the Administration sought to curb, while…
Original source: https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/
