By Ted Johnson, Deadline.com, 8-18-26
ABC filed an unprecedented First Amendment lawsuit against the FCC on Aug. 18, claiming that its investigations and regulatory actions are part of a Trump administration “retaliatory campaign” to curb the network’s free speech.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. (read it here), also seeks to halt a proceeding in which the agency and its chairman, Brendan Carr, demanded that it put its eight stations up for early license renewal. That followed Donald Trump‘s attacks on the network, including its late-night host, Jimmy Kimmel.
“Acting through the Federal Communications Commission, the Administration has waged a retaliatory campaign against ABC for a single reason: it disapproves of what ABC broadcasts,” the lawsuit stated. » Read More