Posts

Disney abc

ABC And Disney Sues FCC Over Alleged First Amendment Violations 

/in , /by

The ABC network has sued the Federal Communications Commission in federal court this week. ABC and its corporate parent, The Walt Disney Company, are alleging major First Amendment infractions, arguing that the Trump administration has violated their free speech rights by launching investigations and challenging the network’s broadcast licenses in retaliation for its news coverage, late-night satire, and views on talk shows, according to reports.  

ABC and Disney allege that the FCC is working to appease President Trump due to the fact that he has repeatedly called out the network to be stripped of its licenses because of material that he viewed as unfavorable to himself and his administration. 

Embed from Getty Images

“Government censorship is deeply un-American,” the lawsuit begins. 

Within the suit itself are Trump’s social media posts which condemn ABC’s news coverage, talk show The View, and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, who has often gone back and forth with the president. 

The lawsuit continues to point out that the government “may not use the power of the State to punish or suppress disfavored expression.”

“The case concerns the Administration’s sustained effort to do just that. The Administration has waged a retaliatory campaign against ABC for a single reason: it disapproves of what ABC broadcasts.”

ABC and Disney together own eight local TV stations, and among them are stations in six of the United States’ largest markets which contribute significantly to ABC’s bottom line, NPR reports. 

These shows require federal licenses because they rely on the public airwaves, but the FCC forces all eight of them to undergo early scrutiny within the renewal process, years ahead of schedule. 

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr stated in an interview with NPR this week that Disney and ABC were “jumping the gun,” because the agency has not made any decision about whether to renew the licenses. 

Embed from Getty Images

“Disney seems a little jumpy right now. Disney has chosen to go to court to try to block the FCC from moving forward with respect to at least some of the procedural options that are in front of the agency. But from our perspective, we’re going to continue to follow the facts and the law wherever they may lead. Perhaps Disney is concerned or worries about how the record is developing,” Carr said. 

“Ultimately, they’re going to get a fair shake before the agency.”

This lawsuit and the FCC’s decision is being regarded as unprecedented. Traditionally, the commission has acted with the president party holding three seats and the opposing party with two. However, before Trump took office for his second term, he publicly stated that he saw the FCC as an extension of the executive branch. 

Carr stated that he makes sure broadcasters operate in the public interest without violating Trump’s executive order regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion. He also has been vocal over his support of Trump’s views and criticisms of ABC, Kimmel, The View, and the network’s journalists in general. 

When Trump called for Kimmel to be pulled off the air, Carr said that ABC and Disney could “do this the easy way or the hard way.” The host was suspended and returned to air days later after public backlash and calls of First Amendment violations. 

With Trump consistently speaking out against ABC, The View, Kimmel, and its journalists, as the parent company Disney has decided to speak out against the president’s attempts to take over the programs. 

“We’re very principled on this,” Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro told CNBC.

“We’re going to stand up to what we believe is journalistic integrity, and we’re not going to be told how to run that side of our business.”  

The Oscars Are Leaving ABC And Will Be Moving To YouTube In 2029 

/in , , /by

Last week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that the Academy Awards will cease being televised on ABC in 2029 and will instead be streamed on YouTube starting in 2029.

Read more
Lion King

Lions, Let’s Get In Formation! Everything We Learned From Beyoncé’s “Making The Gift” Documentary

/in , /by

Okay Lions now let’s get in formation! ABC premiered the documentary special “Making The Gift” this Monday, showcasing how Beyoncé came to creating the beautiful tribute album to Africa. The Lion King, which Knowles-Carter starred in as the voice of Nala, was of course the main source of inspiration for the album. Throughout the work, audio clips from the movie work as interludes to the tracks, setting the scene/tone of whatever track is to follow. The purpose of this was to make the whole body of work cohesive, and have a clear beginning, middle, and end. 

Beyoncé and her team discussed how they didn’t want to “water down” any of the overarching themes and metaphors from the film, both original and remake, and wanted to remain as authentic as possible. They wanted the songs to emulate the same emotions that the characters in the film were emulating during different major plot points. In addition, Beyoncé wanted to make the tracks personal as well, and allow the listener to interpret the music however they wanted. 

“I wanted to put everyone on their own journey to link the story line. Each song was written to reflect the film’s storytelling that gives the listener a chance to imagine their own imagery while listening to a new contemporary interpretation. It was important that the music was not only performed by the most interesting and talented artists but also produced by the best African producers. Authenticity and heart were important to me,” said Knowles-Carter in the special. 

Embed from Getty Images

Beyoncé at The Lion King’s European Premiere 

The ability to make an album that is both open for interpretation and meant to coincide with a specific fixed plot is no easy task, however, this is Beyoncé we’re talking about. The impact that this album had on the African American community when it first came out in 1994 was astounding, and the soundtrack had everything to do with that. The original soundtrack to the first animated film was intended to work the same exact way that The Gift did. As each track progresses into the next one, the tone of the music shifts to match the plot. Obviously, Beyoncé wanted to pay homage to the original soundtracks impact while also creating a body of work that completely and unapologetically praised African culture and tradition. 

This album was meant to be just as much of a tribute and “love letter” to Africa and its people as it is a movie soundtrack.  In order to make sure that they fully embodied Africa’s culture and music, Beyoncé and her team reached out to work with not only African American artists and producers, but also actual African musicians and producers from the continent, who have been raised in traditional African sound and culture.  The album as a whole includes artists like Pharrell, Jessie Reyez, Tekno, Yemi Alade, Mr. Eazi, Burna Boy, Salatiel, SAINt JHN, WizKid, Tiwa Savage, Shatta Wale, Tierra Whack, Busiswa, Moonchild Sanelly, and 070 Shake.

“This soundtrack is a love letter to Africa, and I wanted to make sure we found the best talent from Africa, and not just use some of the sounds and did my interpretation of it. We’ve kind of created our own genre, and I feel like the soundtrack, it becomes visual in your mind. It’s a soundscape. It’s more than just the music because each song tells the story of the film,” Beyoncé said during an interview with Good Morning America.

Embed from Getty Images

Beyoncé and Blue Ivy at The Lion King’s US Premiere

Fans were also treated to plenty of footage of the entire Knowles-Carter family, including husband Jay-Z and twins Rumi and Sir Carter. The documentary special followed the family as they journeyed to parts of Africa, such as Egypt, Nigeria, and Kenya, in order to get inspiration for the album, and so the family could really connect to their ancestry. 

Of course, Blue Ivy, Beyoncé’s first born daughter, was also in the documentary and even had her own mini segment. Beyoncé’s children we’re a major inspiration for the album in general, since a general theme of the movie is remembering your roots (family and culture). Blue Ivy even recorded a sample chorus for the track “BROWN SKIN GIRL,” which has become one of the most popular songs on the album, as an empowering anthem about the importance of embracing Brown Skin, regardless of what society tells you.

The empowering message for all minorities is so clear and beautiful, Beyoncé truly topped herself yet again with this body of work. The documentary concluded with Beyoncé discussing the final track and music video on the album titled “SPIRIT”, the visual and lyrical metaphors being the strongest within this track. 

“The concept of the video is to show how God is the painter and natural beauty in nature needs no art direction. It’s the beauty of color, the beauty of melanin, the beauty of tradition. It was important that throughout this body of work we weren’t just inspired by Africa but that we actually included and learned from the motherland.”