该电视台的律师向联邦法官表示，出于对遭到报复的担忧，ABC已在调整其政治报道策略。
A lawyer for the network told a federal judge it’s already changing political coverage decisions out of fear of retribution.
这家广播公司的律师周二向联邦法官透露，为避免惹怒唐纳德·特朗普总统，ABC的节目正在有意识地调整中期选举的报道方式。不过，相关政策调整可能还要数周时间才能全面落地。
ABC programs are already tempering their election coverage ahead of the midterms to avoid angering President Donald Trump, a lawyer for the broadcast company told a federal judge on Tuesday, but any possible reprieve is still likely weeks away.
ABC指控联邦通信委员会主席布伦丹·卡尔威胁提前数年对该台位于全美主要电视市场的8个播出站进行执照审核，以此作为手段迫使迪士尼旗下的这家电视台改变报道立场。ABC的律师称，这一压力迫使电视台不得不重新考量中期选举的报道方式，这种顾虑也渗透到了节目制作决策中——比如是否播出总统演讲，以及《观点》这类日间节目的嘉宾阵容该如何安排。
ABC is accusing FCC Chair Brendan Carr of threatening to impose a corporate death penalty on its eight stations in the nation’s largest TV markets by hauling in its licenses for a review years ahead of schedule. That’s forcing the Disney-owned network to second-guess how it covers the midterm elections for fear of angering the administration, ABC’s lawyer told a federal judge in Washington Tuesday, a consideration seeping into decision-making around whether to air presidential speeches and what the political line-ups should look like on daytime shows like “The View.”
更为深远的影响可能出现在2028年总统大选前夕：华盛顿联邦地方法院法官洛伦·阿里汗的裁决结果，将决定所有广播机构今后如何结合总统的立场来开展政治报道。作为《吉米·基梅尔秀》的播出平台，ABC在众多面临政府施压的媒体机构中表现出了较强的抗压力，因此此次诉讼的胜负结果极有可能对整个电视行业的报道方向产生深远影响。
The bigger stakes, though, could be the lead-up to the 2028 presidential election as any decision from U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan could affect how all broadcasters weigh the president’s mood in covering politics. ABC, the broadcast home of Jimmy Kimmel, has stood out for its pushback from many media companies facing pressure from the administration, and a court victory — or defeat — could have sweeping influence over what the network airs.
此次裁决结果也将成为其他全国性电视台的参考标杆，这些电视台同样面临着特朗普与卡尔在报道层面施加的类似压力。
The outcome could be a bellwether for other national networks, which have faced similar threats from Trump and Carr over their coverage.