ABC ‘fighting back’, urging US public to defend stations amid FCC scrutiny

Disney-owned ABC and United States President Donald Trump are once again at odds, as the network has launched an on-air campaign urging viewers to support its local stations amid mounting pressure from the White House, a move applauded by press freedom advocates. As part of the campaign, local stations, including New York’s WABC — the network’s largest owned-and-operated station — have encouraged viewers to voice their concerns during a public comment period that ends on July 29. Other stations, including Houston’s KTRK, have posted similar calls to action on their websites. Recommended Stories list of 4 items end of list That comes on the heels of a move in April when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ordered ABC to file early licence renewals for its eight local television stations. In addition to Houston and New York, the affected stations serve markets including San Francisco, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The FCC uses licence renewals to determine whether stations have served the public interest. Free speech advocates argue the agency’s move is designed to appease Trump by targeting a perceived political adversary. “[FCC Chairman Brenden] Carr’s open support of Trump’s efforts to reshape and silence ABC taints any claim by his FCC to be calling balls and strikes when investigating ABC or its programming,” Seth Stern, director of advocacy for the Freedom of the Press Foundation, told Al Jazeera in written remarks. …