CBS caved to Trump—now he’s seeking punishments for ABC and NBC

Following his decisive victory over CBS News, President Trump has shifted his focus to ABC and NBC. In a post on Truth Social, he questioned why these networks, which he labeled as "FAKE NEWS," are not subjected to hefty license fees. He argued, "They should lose their Licenses for their unfair coverage of Republicans and/or Conservatives, but at a minimum, they should pay up BIG for having the privilege of using the most valuable airwaves anywhere at anytime! Crooked 'journalism' should not be rewarded, it should be terminated!" Despite Trump's history of threatening to revoke broadcaster licenses, such actions have not materialized. The recent developments with CBS illustrate his ability to leverage government influence over media operations. CBS's parent company, Paramount, recently settled with Trump for $16 million and agreed to implement a "bias monitor" as part of securing Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval for an $8 billion merger with Skydance. Now, Trump is directing his ire at ABC and NBC, asserting that they have provided him with 97% negative coverage during what he claims were some of the most popular months in presidential history. In his words, if these networks continue their biased reporting, they should be treated as an arm of the Democratic Party, warranting license revocation by the FCC. He stated, "I would be totally in favor of that because they are so biased and untruthful, an actual threat to our Democracy!!! MAGA." As of today, efforts to reach ABC and NBC for comments on Trump's claims have not yielded a response. However, it's essential to note that the process of revoking a broadcasting license is far more complex than Trump suggests. The FCC oversees licenses for broadcast stations rather than networks like CBS, NBC, or ABC directly. Revoking a license mid-term is legally challenging, often deemed nearly impossible. The FCC can only pursue license issues when they are up for renewal, which for many TV stations won't occur until 2028.