FCC Scrutinizes ABC License Renewals Over Broadcast Decisions
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr has confirmed the agency will consider whether ABC violated public interest standards when it declined to air a live speech by President Donald Trump on July 16. The review is set to unfold as the commission evaluates license renewal applications for eight ABC-owned stations.
Regulatory Pressure Mounts on Disney
The FCC’s oversight of ABC’s spectrum is currently tethered to a broader administrative proceeding. In April, the agency’s Media Bureau ordered ABC to reapply for licenses for its eight owned-and-operated stations on an accelerated timeline. This inquiry is rooted in an investigation into whether the network’s parent company, Disney, violated discrimination rules through its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices.
Disney has formally challenged the order. The company submitted its license renewal applications “under protest in response to an unlawful, arbitrary, and unconstitutional order,” while simultaneously launching a campaign encouraging viewers to submit public comments to the FCC.
The July 16 Address and Public Interest Standards
During his July 16 speech on U.S. election security, President Trump singled out ABC and NBC for bypassing his remarks. The President alleged that U.S. elections were “rigged and stolen” and claimed that China accessed voter files in 2018 and 2020. He further argued that broadcasters should face license revocation for refusing to carry his address.
Chairman Carr addressed the controversy during a press conference on Wednesday. “I think that when you have the president of the United States standing inside the White House delivering an important speech, I think that’s something that broadcasters should be carrying,” Carr said. He confirmed that the network’s editorial choice would be a point of discussion in the current license review, emphasizing that the FCC would hold broadcasters to the public-interest standard.
Proposed Overhaul of Ownership Caps
The scrutiny of ABC is part of a wider regulatory agenda. Carr also announced plans for a commission vote to eliminate the 39% national TV station ownership cap. He argued that removing this limit would allow local stations to “compete on a more level playing field” with major national programmers. Carr suggested the policy shift would have the “additional benefit of bringing back some of the balance to the broadcast airwaves” as the commission weighs industry competition against traditional licensing standards.
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