ABC Accuses Government of Violating First Amendment
Source: New York Times
May 8, 2026Updated 12:40 p.m. ET
ABC has accused the Federal Communications Commission of violating its free speech rights, potentially setting the stage for a protracted, high-stakes legal battle between the network and the Trump administration. The company said in a filing with the agency that regulators had a “chilling effect” on free speech by trying to punish political content they disagreed with.
The filing, made public on Friday, is the most aggressive defense from any television network since President Trump kicked off an extended campaign last year to bring media organizations to heel. It represented a striking departure for ABC. The network, under the corporate stewardship of the Walt Disney Company, set an early tone of compliance toward Mr. Trump when it settled a defamation lawsuit with him for $15 million in December 2024. Many legal experts considered Mr. Trump’s case unlikely to succeed in court.
The filing was registered on behalf of a single ABC station in Houston and involved a minor regulatory dispute over the talk show “The View.” But in a signal of its importance, the company’s paperwork was signed by one of the most experienced Supreme Court litigators in the country, Paul D. Clement, a solicitor general under President George W. Bush.
The filing responded to action the F.C.C. took earlier this year questioning whether “The View,” the longtime ABC morning talk show, fell under old federal rules requiring entertainment programs on broadcast television to grant equal airtime to political candidates for the same office. The show features a mix of political and celebrity interviews, led by a panel of hosts who are often highly critical of Mr. Trump.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/08/business/media/abc-fcc-first-amendment-the-view.html
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Link to FILING (PDF) - https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/10507899614175/1
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