Feld: Colbert Cancellation Means Regulated Companies Now 'Obey in Advance'
Whether or not Paramount canceled Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show to please President Donald Trump, “the industry -- and industry investors -- believe they did," wrote Public Knowledge Senior Vice President Harold Feld in a blog post Thursday. “Major companies…
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seeking regulatory approval or conducting other business with the Trump administration, and their investors, believe the action was, or at least could be, politically motivated,” Feld wrote. “They will therefore do what they can to obey in advance.” The FCC’s ongoing behavior of investigating entities targeted by Trump “reinforces that belief,” and “encourages these companies to self-censor, keep their heads down, and avoid either news coverage or entertainment that could anger President Trump,” Feld said. “This quiet subservience, where media companies and creators toe the administration’s line, comes with a cost,” Feld said. “It limits free expression, shuts down open political discourse, and prevents us from even knowing the educational and entertainment options we’re missing because they’re simply not developed for fear of reprisal from President Trump.”