By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, Jan 16 (Reuters) - The Federal Communications Commission said Thursday it is rejecting complaints over an ABC-moderated September presidential debate and Vice President Kamala Harris' appearances on CBS' "60 Minutes" and NBC's "Saturday Night Live."
Outgoing FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel also told Reuters the agency was rejecting a petition not to renew the license of a Philadelphia FOX station because the station's owner Fox also owns Fox News, which was settled a lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems over statements around the 2020 presidential election.
The announcement comes as President-elect Donald Trump has filed lawsuits against Paramount-owned PARA.O CBS and in September called on the FCC to cancel licenses for Walt Disney-owned DIS.N ABC over the network's moderating of the Sept. 10 presidential debate.
"The FCC should not be the president’s speech police," Rosenworcel said, saying the agency was rejecting complaints that "seek to weaponize the licensing authority of the FCC in a way that is fundamentally at odds with the First Amendment. To do so would set a dangerous precedent. That is why we reject it here."
(Reporting by David Shepardson)
((David.Shepardson@thomsonreuters.com; 2028988324;))
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