NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump is threatening to challenge NBC’s broadcast licenses because he’s not happy with how its news division has covered him. But experts say it’s not likely his threats would lead to any action.
Comcast’s NBCUniversal owns several TV stations, and its news shows and other programs are carried on stations owned by other companies around the country. Stations operate under licenses from the Federal Communications Commission, an independent government agency.
NBC spokeswoman Hilary Smith had no comment.
A station could be deemed unfit and have its license stripped if it were telling lies and spreading fake news, as Trump claims in a tweet threatening NBC. But Harold Feld of the consumer group Public Knowledge says that’s tough to prove. These days, license renewals are fairly routine.