Conservative Groups Urge FCC to Protect 8 ABC Licenses as DEI Review Raises Free-Speech Fears
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 25
Conservative Groups Urge FCC to Protect 8 ABC Licenses as DEI Review Raises Free-Speech Fears
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 25
Summary
A coalition of conservative and free-market groups asked FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to keep renewal of eight ABC-owned station licenses routine, warning against turning the process into a political test.
Their letter argues non-routine renewals should be reserved for extraordinary operational failures or malfeasance, saying a lower bar would let future FCCs target conservative, religious or other disfavored broadcasters.
The appeal comes after Carr said in April the Disney-owned stations must show they served the public interest during an FCC review of Disney’s DEI practices, and after he linked ABC’s decision to skip Trump’s primetime address to that standard.
Those licenses were originally due for renewal between 2028 and 2031 but were expedited by Trump’s FCC; the agency is also investigating ABC’s "The View" over equal-time rules after a Texas Democratic Senate candidate appeared on the program.