FCC Chair Defends Media Freedom Against Trump’s Disney Broadcast License Suggestion

FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel rejected former President Donald Trump's suggestion that Disney-owned ABC should lose its broadcast licenses over the presidential debate moderation. Rosenworcel emphasized the importance of the First Amendment and clarified that the FCC does not revoke licenses based on political disagreements.

The chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has firmly rejected former U.S. President Donald Trump's call for Walt Disney-owned ABC to lose its broadcast licenses following the network's moderation of the Sept. 10 presidential debate.

In a strong defense of media freedom, FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel emphasized on Thursday, 'The First Amendment is a cornerstone of our democracy. The Commission does not revoke licenses for broadcast stations simply because a political candidate disagrees with or dislikes content or coverage.'

Rosenworcel also clarified that the FCC, an independent federal agency, does not license broadcast networks as a whole but issues licenses to individual broadcast stations, renewed on a staggered basis every eight years.

(With inputs from agencies.)