'It's the First Amendment, stupid': Federal judge blasts DeSantis administration for threats against TV stations
Source: cnn
Liam Reilly Brian Stelter 10:54 PM EDT, Thu October 17, 2024
“To keep it simple for the State of Florida: it’s the First Amendment, stupid.”
That’s what a federal judge wrote Thursday as he sided with local TV stations in an extraordinary dispute over a pro-abortion rights television ad.
Chief U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker of the Northern District of Florida granted a temporary restraining order against Florida’s surgeon general after the state health department threatened to bring criminal charges against broadcasters airing the ad.
The controversy stems from a campaign ad by the group Floridians Protecting Freedom, which is behind the “Yes on 4 Campaign,” promoting a ballot measure that seeks to overturn Florida’s six-week abortion ban by enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution.
In the 30-second ad, a brain cancer survivor named Caroline says the state law would have prevented her from receiving a life-saving abortion. .................
.....................The broadcasters were supported by Jessica Rosenworcel, the Democratic chair of the FCC, who said earlier this month that “threats against broadcast stations for airing content that conflicts with the government’s views are dangerous and undermine the fundamental principle of free speech.”
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/17/media/florida-judge-tv-abortion-rights-ad-health/index.html
Temporary for now.
= new reply since forum marked as read
The issue at hand is the broadcasters' freedom to sell their advertising time to the highest bidder, or to whomever pays the price for the airtime. The Pro-choice group bought that airtime and presumably paid for it, so they are allowed to run their ad.
If the Governor doesn't like the Pro-choice message, then he can buy his own airtime for his own advertising.
In either case, the "speech" isn't free.
