Jon Stewart interviewed Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Lina Khan yesterday, saying he wanted to do this at the time while his show aired on Apple TV+, but the company did not allow it.
This discovery comes after one of the (numerous and varied!) complaints in the US Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit. was that Apple controlled content and influenced free speech …
John Stewart's Time on Apple TV+
The multi-year partnership between Apple and comedian & commentator Jon Stewart was announced back in 2020. It was reported that it would include a talk show on Apple TV+ and an accompanying podcast.
The show was later titled “The Trouble with Jon Stewart” on a topic each show was detailed in the accompanying podcast.
The show was intense, touching on issues such as US gun policy and Trump's indictment, but Apple reportedly backed out of some of the topics Stewart wanted to cover. in the third season, which included China and A.I. Apple subsequently canceled the show and podcast, raising questions from Congress.
Stewart returned part-time as host of Comedy Central's The Daily Show and then commented on the reason for his departure by focusing on the size of the Apple TV+ audience.
“I needed a place to clear my mind before the campaign began. I thought I'd do it, as they call it, on Apple TV+. This is a television enclave, very small. It's like living in Malibu. But they decided, they felt, that they didn't want me to say things that would get me in trouble.”
John Stewart interviews Lina Khan
In an interview with Lina Khan, chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission, Stewart said he tried to do this while he worked at Apple. TV+, but the company refused to allow it. Axios Reports:
Jon Stewart told Khan on Monday that Apple wouldn't let him interview her for the podcast […]
&# 8220;I wanted you on the podcast, but Apple asked us not to this” “The Daily Show”; the host told Khan, referring to his former podcast, which was a spinoff of his Apple TV+ comedy show The Trouble with Jon Stewart.
“They literally said, & #8216;please don't talk to her’ has nothing to do with what you do for a living. I think they just… I didn't think they cared about you, that's what happened,” she said. – he added during a conversation with Khan.
He also referred to Apple's ban on telling him about some problems with AI.
“They didn't even let us do that stupid thing we just did in the first AI act. Like, what kind of sensitivity is this? Why are they so afraid to make these conversations public?”
The article compares Apple's tight control with that of other broadcast networks. It notes that John Oliver was allowed to criticize AT&T even though the company was the ultimate owner of the network, and Jimmy Kimmel was allowed to air claims made on another show made by the same media group.
ABC late night host Jimmy Kimmel criticized the incorrect accusations made by Aaron Rodgers on The Pat McAfee Show earlier this year; — which airs on ABC affiliate network ESPN.
One element of the US Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit against Apple reads:
Apple's behavior goes beyond just monopoly profits and even influences the flow of speech. For example, Apple is rapidly expanding its role as a producer of television and movies and has used that role to control content.
At first glance, this seems like one of the dumbest decisions. A broadcaster, by definition, controls content, and free speech only becomes censorship when it is restricted by a government rather than a private company. Apple's content timidity may be frustrating, but it's not an antitrust issue.
Apple had not responded to a request for comment at the time of writing.
Image: Comedy Central
