Conservative organizations have petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deny license renewal requests for eight ABC-owned local television stations, accusing the network of political, racial, and sexual bias, as well as supporting the Chinese Communist Party.
FCC's Early License Renewal Process
The petitions follow the FCC's decision, led by Trump appointee Brendan Carr, to require ABC to apply for license renewals several years early—a nearly unprecedented step. Carr stated that the early renewal stems from an investigation into ABC's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. However, petitioners are allowed to include various grievances about whether ABC operates in the public interest.
Petitions from Conservative Groups
The Center for American Rights, which has initiated complaints against major broadcast networks during Carr's tenure, filed a petition arguing that ABC's programs show "consistent and overt partisan bias." The group cited complaints about late-night host Jimmy Kimmel and ABC's moderation of a 2024 presidential debate. The petition stated, "ABC ignores long-standing Commission precedents and principles protecting the integrity of the news. ABC engages in explicit racial and gender discrimination. ABC cozies up to the Communist Chinese Party and airbrushes over religious and ethnic cleansing."
The Media Research Center, a conservative media watchdog, filed a petition claiming ABC "abused the licenses," attempted to influence national elections, and engaged in misinformation and promotion of violence. The group alleged that ABC stations in markets like New York and Los Angeles "used public spectrum to suppress news coverage of critical stories, engage in electioneering, and peddle misinformation."
The Article III Project, founded by Trump-aligned activist Mike Davis, focused on Disney's employment practices. Senior counsel William Chamberlain wrote, "The Commission should deny renewal of ABC's television licenses. The record demonstrates consistent and serious violations of federal Equal Employment Opportunity law."
America First Legal, co-founded by Trump aide Stephen Miller, filed a petition claiming ABC's stations "demonstrated a lack of character qualifications necessary to hold broadcast licenses."
Background and Timeline
The FCC accelerated ABC's license renewal timeline in April after the White House called for Kimmel's ouster over a joke about Melania Trump. The FCC is also investigating whether The View violated equal time provisions during an appearance by Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico.
The FCC set a 29 July deadline for opposition to petitions, with replies due by 5 August. After that, the matter may be handed to an administrative law judge for a full trial or handled by FCC commissioners. During a 25 June meeting, Carr told the Guardian that there is no clear timeline for the review process, stating, "If it's short, great. If it's long, great. But we got to apply the Communications Act and the provisions."
