Major U.S. broadcasters skip Trump speech, airing animal shows and quiz programs instead

[Financial News] Tensions between the Trump administration and the media have flared again as major U.S. broadcasters declined to carry President Donald Trump's prime-time address live, one after another.
On the 16th (local time), AP and POLITICO reported that major broadcasters including ABC, NBC and CNN did not air Trump's 9 p.m. speech on television.
ABC and NBC kept their regular schedules, airing a quiz show and an animal program, while CNN broadcast its usual news program. However, ABC and NBC streamed the speech on their own streaming channels, and CNN carried it on its online platform. CBS began broadcasting a few minutes after the speech started, while pro-Trump networks such as Fox News aired it live.
In the United States, it is common practice for major broadcasters to simulcast a president's prime-time address on national issues or major policy announcements, but they are not legally required to do so.

Trump claimed during the speech that China had attempted to interfere in the election, including by illegally accessing the information of millions of U.S. voters in the 2018 and 2020 presidential elections.


During the address, he singled out ABC and NBC, saying, "The fake news networks decided not to cover this speech. They knew what was in it." He added, "Such fraudulent behavior should lead to the revocation of their broadcast licenses." He also criticized them, saying they "use public airwaves for free but do not report honestly."
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also urged broadcasters before the speech, saying, "They should carry it live, and the American people should watch it," but her appeal was not heeded.
However, presidential speeches are not always broadcast live.

According to POLITICO, some broadcasters did not air former President Joe Biden's "threat to democracy" speech in 2022, and in 2014 ABC, CBS and NBC also skipped live coverage of former President Barack Obama's prime-time address on immigration policy.
Trump has repeatedly called for the licenses of broadcasters that have been critical of him to be revoked. Last year, he argued that networks that deliver "almost 100% negative coverage" should lose their licenses, and more recently he said ABC should also lose its license.
Experts said the First Amendment protects broadcasters' editorial discretion, and that the FCC has only limited legal authority to unilaterally revoke the licenses of broadcast networks.
Separate from this controversy, ABC parent Disney and NBC parent Comcast Corporation are both under FCC investigation, suggesting that tensions between the Trump administration and major broadcasters are likely to continue for now.


y27k@fnnews.com Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter