Trump renews threat over NBC’s ‘license’

President Trump is again suggesting that NBC’s “license” should be challenged, attacking the network’s “journalistic standards” following reports that it had passed on a damning exposé about Harvey Weinstein.

“NBC FAKE NEWS, which is under intense scrutiny over their killing the Harvey Weinstein story, is now fumbling around making excuses for their probably highly unethical conduct,” the president tweeted on Tuesday.

“I have long criticized NBC and their journalistic standards-worse than even CNN. Look at their license?” he added.

NBC FAKE NEWS, which is under intense scrutiny over their killing the Harvey Weinstein story, is now fumbling around making excuses for their probably highly unethical conduct. I have long criticized NBC and their journalistic standards-worse than even CNN. Look at their license?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2018

{mosads}Trump has directed similar attacks at NBC and other outlets last year over critical coverage. But in reality, there is little that he or his administration could do to carry out the threat. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is in charge of issuing broadcasting licenses, which are granted to individual stations instead of networks like NBC.

Moreover, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai repeatedly said last year that the agency would not revoke those licenses on the basis of a station’s content. A spokeswoman for Pai did not immediately respond when asked for comment on Tuesday.

Last week, a former NBC News producer told The New York Times that the network had effectively suppressed journalist Ronan Farrow’s investigation into Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and his alleged history of sexual assault.

NBC has denied the accusation, saying that Farrow’s work, which was later published in The New Yorker, was not “camera ready.”