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President Trump suggested yesterday that the US government should revoke the licenses of TV networks that are overwhelmingly critical of him.
The suggestion came a day after ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show indefinitely following pressure from the FCC, the US’ broadcast media regulator. Trump claimed the show went dark due to low ratings and because Kimmel said a “horrible thing” about Charlie Kirk.
Earlier this week, Kimmel accused Trump’s allies of “desperately trying” to portray the suspect in Kirk’s killing “as anything other than one of them.” The Trump-appointed FCC chair Brendan Carr threatened action against ABC affiliates if they didn’t take measures against the comedian.
The FCC’s role
Following Carr’s criticism, Nexstar, the owner of 32 ABC affiliate stations, denounced Kimmel’s Kirk take and said it would replace his show with other content. Shortly after, ABC said that it would suspend Kimmel’s program nationally. Another ABC affiliate station operator, Sinclair, also said it wouldn’t air Kimmel’s show, even if it is reinstated, until ABC donates to Kirk’s organization.
But industry analysts pointed out that the FCC’s role in approving industry mergers might’ve played a part in the TV giants’ decisions:
- Nexstar will need the FCC to greenlight its $6.2 billion planned merger with broadcaster Tegna.
- ABC’s parent company, Disney, is also looking for FCC approval for its subsidiary ESPN’s acquisition of the NFL Network.
Free speech fears
House Democrats accused Carr of abuse of power and called on him to resign. The sole Democratic FCC Commissioner, Anna Gomez, said the agency was “weaponizing its licensing authority.” Carr claimed that Kimmel spread misinformation, saying that broadcasters must operate in the public interest.
The FCC’s pressuring of ABC was condemned by the advocacy group Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, as well as the editorial board of the Free Press—two organizations that have previously criticized Democrats over free speech issues.
Looking ahead: Carr said “we’re not done yet,” suggesting that more regulatory action directed at TV networks is coming. Trump also called on NBC to cancel Jimmy Fallon’s and Seth Meyers’s late-night shows.—SK
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