The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating The Walt Disney Company's ABC News division, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC for potential antitrust violations. The probe focuses on whether the networks engaged in an illegal group boycott when they jointly halted pooled television coverage of the White House last month.
The networks said the action was a protest against the administration's decision to bar several other news organizations from White House access. The DOJ's Antitrust Division is examining whether the coordinated suspension of coverage among competitors violated federal antitrust law, specifically the Sherman Act. The investigation adds to tensions between the administration and major media outlets.