On the other hand, if you run a broadcasting network, picking a fight with the FCC does not seem like a smart move.
Licenses are renewed for a maximum of eight years, and during the renewal process the FCC determines whether the licensee has served the public interest; has not committed any serious violations of the Communications Act or the FCC’s rules; and has not committed other violations which, taken together, would constitute a pattern of abuse. – Law & Crime
Serious violations? Quite possibly. Pattern of abuse? Quite definitely.
Even the suggestion that the FCC might not renew ESPN’s broadcast license would probably tank the share price and lead to the board having to have some difficult conversations with their major investors.
