Trump Calls for ABC and NBC Broadcast Licences to Be Revoked After Speech Snub

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Washington : US President Donald Trump has called for the broadcast licences of ABC and NBC to be revoked after the networks declined to air his prime-time speech live on their main television channels.

ABC and NBC streamed the address online instead, while CBS aired part of it before cutting away to fact-check Trump's claims. Fox News broadcast the speech live. Trump accused the networks of bias and said they should lose their licences.

US television networks are not legally required to broadcast a president's speech. The First Amendment protects the freedom of the press and gives broadcasters editorial independence, meaning networks can decide which programmes and speeches to air.

Past presidents, including Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, have also delivered speeches that major networks chose not to broadcast live.

Trump's demand also faces legal and regulatory obstacles. The Federal Communications Commission generally licenses individual broadcast stations rather than entire networks, and the agency cannot simply revoke a licence because a network chose not to air a president's speech. Any attempt to punish a broadcaster for its editorial decision would also raise serious First Amendment concerns.

Pic Credit: White House