Donald Trump threatens NBC’s broadcast licence over nuclear story he says was ‘pure fiction’ http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-12/donald-trump-threatens-nbc-broadcast-licence/9041652 United States President Donald Trump has threatened NBC’s broadcast licences because he is not happy with how its news division has covered him.
But experts say his threats are not likely to lead to any action.
The NBC network itself does not need a licence to operate, but individual stations do.
NBC owns several stations in major cities.
Stations owned by other companies such as Tribune and Cox carry NBC’s news shows and other programs elsewhere.
Licences come from the Federal Communications Commission, an independent government agency whose chairman is a Trump appointee.
Mr Trump said NBC “made up” a story about the President’s plans for the country’s nuclear arsenal.
He tweeted that the broadcaster “made up a story that I wanted a ‘tenfold’ increase in our US nuclear arsenal. Pure fiction, made up to demean. NBC = CNN!”
