US opens antitrust probe into TV networks halting Trump coverage

The United States Department of Justice has opened an investigation into television networks’ decision to halt coverage of President Donald Trump last month. A spokesperson said on Saturday that the department was investigating whether the networks violated federal antitrust laws by their boycott, which followed a White House decision to pull the credentials of reporters from three news organisations, including CNN. The ⁠networks under investigation are ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News, said Emily Convington, the Justice Department spokesperson. “Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act,” she said of the antitrust legislation.