President Trump threatened again to revoke the broadcast licenses of ABC and NBC on Thursday, after those networks decided not to preempt their regularly scheduled programming to cover his address on election integrity live.Why it matters: The Federal Communications Commission has already launched probes into broadcasters, alleging their practices violate public interest standards. Those efforts could have serious business consequences. "In a rare move, NBC and ABC fake news have both said that they would not cover this speech.
They knew what it was about," he said. "Fraud like this should mean a revocation of their licenses."The official White House rapid response X account also slammed CNN for not carrying the address live.State of play: CBS and Fox were the only major broadcasters to preempt their regularly scheduled primetime programming for Trump's speech.Fox and Fox News Channel both aired the entire speech in real-time. CBS aired portions of the address live as part of a special news broadcast.MS NOW didn't take the full speech live, but also covered some clips in real-time as part of its regularly scheduled news programming.ABC, NBC and CNN did not take the program live on linear television, but ABC and NBC aired coverage of the speech on their streaming channels.
Between the lines: The subject of the speech likely pushed the networks to exert caution.In his address, the president claimed the Chinese government tried to undermine the 2020 election. Networks have been cautious about airing unverified claims by the president and others on the validity of the 2020 election, especially following Fox News' $787 million defamation settlement that it paid for airing election lies. The big picture: The Trump administration has increased pressure on broadcast networks through a series of FCC investigations and regulatory probes led by chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump ally.Carr has opened an investigation into ABC's "The View" over questions surrounding its compliance with federal broadcast rules.
ABC is currently facing a license renewal fight with the FCC.Zoom out: CBS' decision to carry sections of the speech live is notable because broadcasters often move in unison when deciding whether to air a presidential address requested by the White House.For example, major broadcast networks largely made the same decision about whether to air President Biden's primet… President Trump's primetime speech Thursday evening won't receive live coverage among at least two of the four major TV networks — but it will be available via streaming. The big picture: The address, which is expected to center around election security, puts ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox between a rock and a hard place: air potentially false claims about the 2020 election or risk backlash from the White House and a confrontational Federal Communications Commission.Driving the news: NBC News said in a statement it would provide live coverage of the president's remarks on NBC News NOW and air "a special report" on NBC afterward.ABC said it would air the speech on its 24/7 streaming channel, ABC News Live, and ABC News Radio "with comprehensive, anchored coverage" and "in our regular network newscasts."ABC added that it is "prepared to break into network programming to deliver live updates and reporting should significant developments occur."CBS and FOX have yet to announce their plans for the speech.Catch up quick: Trump has promised "really big news" in his 9pm ET speech, though he's signaled it will center on "free and fair elections."Zoom out: Broadcasters have long exercised editorial judgment about whether to air presidential addresses, including speeches by Democratic presidents.In 2022, ABC, CBS and NBC all declined to run a speech by President Biden about threats to democracy that sharply criticized Trump and those who denied the 2020 election results.That denial was in part because some critics viewed the address as a partisan speech designed to boost Democrats ahead of the 2022 midterms as opposed to a speech updating the nation on an urgent national situation.
Editor's note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated. President Trump's primetime address Thursday night is forcing TV networks to choose: Air potential 2020 election falsehoods, or risk backlash from a White House that's shown little hesitation in confronting the media.Why it matters: What usually would be a straightforward decision on whether to carry a presidential address has become a high-stakes editorial judgment for broadcast networks.Driving the news: Trump has said that his 9pm ET speech from the East Room will focus on "free and fair elections." He has promised a "very big announcement" and "really big news" regarding the security of the U.S. voting system.He hasn't specifically said whether he'll bring up the 2020 election — an obsession of Trump's since he lost it and cried fraud.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Axios: "President Trump will deliver a major address to the nation on protecting the integrity of our elections.
We encourage every American to watch the president's speech."Friction point: By signaling he may revisit the 2020 election without saying exactly how, Trump has left the networks to decide whether to air the speech, without knowing whether it'll be largely about long-debunked election claims.The big picture: The networks face pressure from both sides.They've spent years trying to avoid amplifying Trump's false claims about widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Yet they also must contend with an FCC that, under chairman and Trump ally Brendan Carr, has opened a series of investigations into broadcast networks.What they're saying: Officials from ABC, NBC and CBS declined to comment.Reality check: Networks have wrestled with similar decisions ever since the 2020 election.Some networks covering Trump typically have aired a speech, then done a fact check afterward.Stations cut away from a Trump speech in the White House briefing room a few days after the 2020 election when Trump baselessly claimed that Democrats were trying to "steal" the election.Yes, but: Trump wouldn't be the first president whose speech wasn't covered by broadcast outlets.Stations at various points opted against covering White House addresses by presidents George W. Bush and Obama.The bottom line: Before he even steps behind the microphone, Trump already has turned Thursday night's address into a test of how broadcasters balance longstanding editorial norms with the unique challenges of covering …
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