Taxpayer Watchdog Applauds ABC’s Lawsuit Challenging FCC Censorship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kara Zupkus (224) 456-0257

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Walt Disney Company, American Broadcasting Companies (ABC), and their television stations sued the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over alleged attempts to suppress their First Amendment rights. The filing seeks to prevent the agency from continuing the early review process of its license and highlights other pressure that has been imposed on its programming.

Responding to the suit, David B. McGarry, Research Director of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, offered the following statement:

“It is refreshing to see a media company assert its First Amendment rights by resisting the FCC’s attempts to stifle free speech. A broadcaster’s license must not depend on the political whims of regulators.”

“Whether the FCC has worked to suppress ABC’s speech is not in question. The agency’s intentions are clear—FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has stated his aims on the record, empty invocations of ‘the public interest’ notwithstanding. More sophisticated and nuanced operators seeking to bully political opponents would not have admitted their aims so explicitly and publicly.

“One need not approve of Jimmy Kimmel, The View, or any other commentator or program to approve of the First Amendment. This is Civics 101, and the FCC needs to do their homework. Let’s hope the judiciary flunks these bureaucrats’ violations of the Constitution.

TPA will continue to oppose this infringement of free speech as well as other efforts to violate Americans’ constitutional rights.”

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The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to educating the public through the research, analysis, and dissemination of information on the government’s impact on the economy.