# Licensing and closure of outlets

A government requires newspapers, broadcasters or news websites to register or to hold a licence, and uses that power to refuse, suspend or cancel it, or to close the outlet. Broadcast licences, which governments issue because radio and television frequencies are limited, are a common lever.

2 recorded incidents in 2 countries; the earliest in the record is dated September 17, 2025.

## Incidents by country and year

### Hong Kong (1)

| Date | Incident | Head of government | Outcome |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| December 15, 2025 | [China (Hong Kong): conviction and 20-year sentence of the media owner Jimmy Lai under the National Security Law, 2025 to 2026](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-hong-kong-convicts-jimmy-lai-under-national-security-law) | [John Lee](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/john-lee) | Sustained (February 8, 2026) |

### United States (1)

| Date | Incident | Head of government | Outcome |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| September 17, 2025 | [United States: Federal Communications Commission chairman's remarks and the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, September 2025](https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2025-fcc-pressure-precedes-kimmel-suspension) | [Donald Trump](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/donald-trump) | Reversed (September 23, 2025) |

Compare: https://thewaronnews.com/compare?tactic=outlet_licensing

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