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Walt Disney has sued the US media watchdog, accusing the Trump administration of launching a “retaliatory campaign” against the group’s ABC television networks over the content of its broadcasts.
The lawsuit in US federal court marks the latest escalation in a row between Disney and the Federal Communications Commission, after the regulator in April ordered a review of all broadcast television stations owned by Disney for violations of rules including “unlawful discrimination”.
The FCC is also probing whether longtime ABC talk show The View had violated rules requiring broadcasters to give equal airtime to opposing political candidates.
Disney said in a complaint in Washington District Court on Tuesday that through the FCC, the Trump administration “has waged a retaliatory campaign against ABC for a single reason: it disapproves of what ABC broadcasts”.
The company has asked the court to declare that early licence renewal applications constitute “retaliatory action” of Disney’s rights under the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which guarantees free speech.
This is a developing story
