FCC Orders Houston's KTRK, ABC Stations to Reapply for Licenses Amid Free Speech Fight

The FCC has ordered Houston's KTRK and seven other ABC stations to reapply for broadcast licenses years ahead of schedule, citing potential violations of the Communications Act and rules against "unlawful discrimination." This unusual move follows a political controversy over a Jimmy Kimmel joke about Melania Trump, raising significant First Amendment concerns about government overreach into protected speech and potential chilling effects on broadcasters.