President Donald Trump intensified his culture war on Sunday, calling again for the Federal Communications Commission to strip ABC and NBC of their broadcast licenses. He launched the attack in a barrage of social media posts and renewed pressure on the nation’s broadcast regulator.
Historically, the FCC has maintained a degree of independence from the White House. But under Chairman Brendan Carr, the agency has more overtly aligned with Trump’s agenda. Carr has opened formal reviews of most major broadcast networks, including ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR and PBS. He has also launched investigations into diversity, equity and inclusion efforts by ABC’s parent, Walt Disney Co., and NBC’s parent, Comcast. Notably, Fox has not been targeted, and that network is owned by Trump ally Rupert Murdoch.
Carr has expressed support for lawsuits Trump filed as a private citizen against ABC and CBS. Those lawsuits resulted in $16 million settlements from the networks’ parent companies. Meanwhile, Trump is also suing Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal over its reporting that he sent a sexually suggestive birthday greeting to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
In his posts late Sunday, Trump labeled ABC and NBC “two of the worst and most biased networks in history.” He claimed without evidence that 97% of their coverage about him was negative and characterized them as extensions of the Democratic Party.
He then called on the FCC to revoke their broadcast licenses for what he described as their coverage of Republicans and conservatives or to make them “pay BIG” for using the airwaves.
The FCC and Carr did not respond to requests for comment. ABC and NBC also declined to comment.
That same morning, the networks’ Sunday public affairs programs offered pointed criticism of the FBI’s search of former national security adviser John Bolton’s home. Bolton has since become a sharp critic of Trump. The president responded by mocking ABC host Jonathan Karl, criticizing his hair, and attacking former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who had condemned the FBI investigation.
Under U.S. law, national networks like ABC and NBC do not hold the licenses granted by the FCC to use public airwaves. Those licenses are held by local station owners. However, the corporate parents Walt Disney and Comcast own local stations.
Trump’s criticism of the media is nothing new. He has long accused major news outlets of unfair coverage. What is new in his second term is the impact of his actions. Legal experts have said the lawsuits against ABC and CBS were unlikely to succeed in court, yet they resulted in settlements. Trump also lobbied the Republican-led Congress to eliminate all federal funding for public media, including NPR. That action has placed public media under significant financial strain.
Carr’s FCC regulatory efforts could affect industry consolidation plans. As recently as this year, the commission considered scrapping limits that prevent local television companies from reaching more than 39% of the national audience. Nexstar’s proposed acquisition of Tegna stations would allow it to reach 80% of U.S. households—over twice the current threshold.
At the same time, Carr’s investigations into news programming may complicate major mergers. Early in his tenure, he revived a probe into CBS’s “60 Minutes.” That probe became a stumbling block to Skydance Media’s acquisition of CBS parent Paramount Global. Approving the sale required transfer of local station licenses, a process that caught the FCC’s attention.
In July, Paramount settled Trump’s lawsuit by paying $16 million. Carr then met with Skydance chief David Ellison, who emphasized the company’s commitment to unbiased journalism and diverse viewpoints. The FCC subsequently approved the merger.
Journalists at the networks under review are well aware that both words and actions from the White House are intensifying pressure on their outlets.
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