Democratic FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel told CNN Sunday that the FCC needs to stand up tall for the First Amendment and against threats against TV station licenses leveled by President Donald Trump.
On CNN's Reliable Sources, Rosenworcel told host Brian Stelter that the FCC would definitely not pull the license of a station at the behest of the President, but she said it was important for all the commissioners "to make clear that they support the First Amendment and that the agency will not revoke a broadcast license simply because the agency is dissatisfied with the licensees' coverage.
Trump suggested that licenses should be challenged after an NBC News story that he was considering massively boosting the nation's nuclear arsenal, a story he called fake news.
The FCC does not license networks or news programs, but it does license local stations and NBC has 11 of them.
FCC chair Ajit Pai has said he also respects the First Amendment and would do nothing to impinge on speech, even at the President's behest. But Democrats in particular, as well as various news organization and others, want him to renew that pledge and make it specific to the President's license threats.
