President Donald Trump has criticized several major U.S. television networks and called for their broadcast licenses to be revoked after they declined to air his primetime national address on their main television channels.
According to the report, ABC, NBC, and CNN directed audiences to digital streaming platforms or radio coverage instead, while CBS and Fox News broadcast the address, with CBS later interrupting its coverage for fact-checking.
Some Democratic lawmakers had urged broadcasters not to provide a live platform for claims they expected would later be disputed.
According to the report, legal and media experts said television networks have broad First Amendment protections over editorial decisions, making it unlikely that broadcast licenses could be revoked solely because of programming choices.
The controversy comes as the Federal Communications Commission is separately considering regulatory matters involving Disney, the parent company of ABC, over unrelated equal-time rule complaints.
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Trump accused networks of engaging in a ‘plot’ by not airing his speech on election security. Experts note that networks have First Amendment rights to decide what they choose to broadcast https://t.co/OMvTqUc96c pic.twitter.com/t1bbiPNB9L
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 17, 2026
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