FCC Chair Ties ABC License Renewals to Skipped July 16 Trump Address
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 23
FCC Chair Ties ABC License Renewals to Skipped July 16 Trump Address
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 23
Summary
Brendan Carr said ABC’s decision not to air Donald Trump’s July 16 primetime speech could surface in FCC license-renewal proceedings, arguing major presidential addresses are part of broadcasters’ public-interest obligations.
A congressional push is already building: Rep. Buddy Carter asked the FCC this week to review whether networks that skipped the speech failed to serve the public interest.
Disney’s ABC faces unusual regulatory pressure beyond that episode, with Carr having moved in April to accelerate renewal of 8 ABC-owned stations from a 2028-2031 timetable amid a review tied to DEI practices.
That tougher posture is drawing resistance even from 14 conservative groups, which warned Thursday that making renewals non-routine could create a precedent future FCCs might use against disfavored broadcasters.
The dispute widens a broader FCC scrutiny of ABC, which also includes an investigation into whether "The View" violated equal-treatment rules for political candidates.