Media giant ABC has accused the Federal Communications Commission of violating its First Amendment rights, amid increasing tensions between the regulatory body and television programs seen as negative toward the Trump administration.
Filed May 8, the broadcaster’s petition calls FCC Chair Brendan Carr’s scrutiny of "The View" talk show “unprecedented, beyond the Commission’s authority, and counterproductive to the Commission’s stated goal of encouraging free speech and open political discussion.”
Carr has previously questioned whether talk shows like “The View” are “bona fide news programs,” a certain legal classification in FCC regulations that grants specific First Amendment protections from government regulation.
The filing is one of the most definitive stances taken against FCC actions targeting news organizations under the second Trump administration.
The commission, which is bound by numerous laws requiring its neutrality and support of First Amendment principles, has drawn scrutiny for targeting news coverage considered to be negative toward President Donald Trump.
