FCC被曝在特朗普黄金时段演讲前询问主要电视台播出安排，Disney/ABC监管压力延续

The Federal Communications Commission queried major broadcast station groups ahead of President Donald Trump’s prime-time speech last month, asking about the companies’ plans to cover the event, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s office contacted the station owners before Trump’s national address on election security and sought details about whether and how they would air the speech, the report said.
In addition to the informal outreach, the FCC sent at least one letter of inquiry regarding how a station group was handling the event, the report stated.
Several national networks, including CNN, NBC, and ABC, declined to carry the July 16 address live on their regular channels, although they did make it available for viewers on their streaming platforms.
During his speech, Trump said the networks were engaged in a “plot” and should have their licenses removed. In the past, some broadcast networks have made similar decisions not to air prime-time speeches by previous presidents.
While national networks typically make most primetime programming decisions for their affiliates, station owner groups have sometimes acted unilaterally to comport with the Trump administration’s wishes. Last year, Nexstar Media Group Inc. and Sinclair Inc. temporarily replaced the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show on their ABC affiliate stations following controversial remarks made by the late-night host.
Walt Disney Co. (DIS), the parent of ABC, is already tussling with the Trump administration and the FCC over its broadcast licenses and the airing of certain content. When asked whether the decision not to air the president’s speech would impact the FCC’s ongoing investigations into ABC, Carr said last month that “there are going to be points raised that relate to Disney’s decision there.” ABC sued the FCC last week, seeking to halt the license reviews on the grounds that they amount to an illegal “retaliatory campaign.”