Fox Calls Disney’s Antitrust Lawsuit ‘Predatory’

Fox Broadcasting Co. has turned the tables in an antitrust lawsuit filed by a Disney Co. television subsidiary, accusing the entertainment giant of “predatory” and “coercive” business practices, court papers disclosed Thursday.

In its first response to a lawsuit filed Feb. 21 by Buena Vista Television, Disney’s television syndication subsidiary, Fox denied charges that it has violated antitrust laws by attempting to monopolize the programming of its affiliates.

Instead, Fox accused Disney of trying to thwart the so-called fourth network “from becoming an effective competitor.”

In the lawsuit, Disney protested Fox’s attempts to waive certain Federal Communications Commission regulations in order to offer more of its own programming to Fox affiliates and acquire syndication rights for the programs.

Disney accused Fox of monopolizing programming by threatening to drop its affiliates if they aired a two-hour Disney children’s program.

However, in documents filed this week in U.S. District Court, Fox said Disney has “engaged in anti-competitive, predatory and coercive practices designed to frustrate and prevent competition by any other animated programming supplier and particularly to prevent (Fox) from becoming an effective competitor.”