A Little Bit Louder, A Little Bit Worse

 I’m not directly posting his Truth Social shit:

This is just one of the many reasons that the Federal Communications Commission should look into the license of NBC, which shows almost exclusively positive Democrat content," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Likewise, ABC Fake News — About the same thing, 97% negative to Republicans!"

Once more, with feeling:

NBC doesn’t have a broadcast license. 

The FCC doesn’t govern content on the airwaves. It does regulate content that could be deemed contrary to community standards (I think that’s the term of art; don’t hold me to that). That’s a particular community, although it would encompass pornography or Tarantino movies or nip slips on Janet Jackson. That led to a fine, nothing more.

They don’t revoke licenses without a court order. And then, they have to prove a particular station is failing to serve their particular community as the law intended. That doesn’t cover reporting the news in a way you don’t like.

The First Amendment covers news broadcasts, so Trump is pissing up a rope.

And the reason Brandon Carr never moved against any ABC affiliate for carrying Jimmy Kimmel is that it would have taken a lawsuit against a particular station, and it would have been in court for years before it was resolved. It also would have been groundless and a waste of time, because the FCC doesn’t regulate content (to that degree). And the First Amendment.

All of which is also keeping Trump from being anything but an impotent old man. Don’t give him power he doesn’t have. Sure, he says outrageous things. But, at least on this topic, that’s all he’s doing. That doesn’t mean we have to be outraged. Why give him even that much?