ABC says it's second-guessing news coverage decisions due to FCC's TV license review

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Set us as preferred Editorial decisions at ABC News are being influenced by the Federal Communications Commission’s early license review of its TV stations, the network’s legal team told a U.S.District Court judge Tuesday.The Disney-owned network is seeking a restraining order to stop the FCC’s action, which its attorneys said was unprecedented and an attempt by the Trump White House to chill free speech.

Disney attorney Beth Wilkinson said the FCC’s action is having an impact on ABC News coverage in the weeks leading up to the midterm elections, as the network tries to avoid further action from the agency that regulates over-the-air broadcast TV licenses.“We are making different editorial decisions,” Wilkinson said during the court hearing in Washington.“We are watching everything that we do because every time we do something — even not broadcasting this presidential speech — brings out the anger in the administration and the retaliation from the agency.”Wilkinson was referring to President Trump’s frustration over ABC’s decision not to air his July 16 speech about voter fraud.

The network chose to run it on its news streaming platform.FCC Chairman Brendan Carr criticized the move and said it would be considered in the license renewal process.Wilkinson cited Carr’s complaint as an example of how the review is being driven by Trump’s unhappiness over the network’s coverage across its news programs, its late-night show “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and its topical daytime chat show “The View.” The FCC’s action, she said, is the administration “retaliating with their government power against ABC’s right to protected speech.”Assistant U.S.

Attorney Dimitar P.Georgiev argued for the FCC that ABC is trying to avoid the commission’s regulatory process by taking the case to the U.S.

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