FCC Chair Brendan Carr added new scrutiny to ABC’s broadcast decisions. His comments could influence the network’s ongoing license review.
What We Know: The FCC’s Brendan Carr said ABC’s decision not to air President Donald Trump’s White House speech earlier this month will likely become part of the agency’s review of the network. ABC News, alongside NBC News, did not carry the address on its broadcast network last week. Meanwhile, some lawmakers have called for the broadcast licenses of both networks to be revoked over that decision. The FCC is already requiring early renewal proceedings for ABC’s owned-and-operated station licenses, and Carr has repeatedly questioned whether the company is operating “in the public interest.” During a Wednesday press conference, he said he’s “sure” the decision not to air Trump’s remarks “are going to be points raised in that proceeding.”
What They Said: “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.” -FCC Chair Brendan Carr
What Remains Unclear: It’s unclear how much weight ABC’s programming decision will carry during the license renewal process. The FCC hasn’t indicated whether the issue alone could affect the outcome. Likewise, ABC hasn’t publicly addressed whether it plans to respond directly to Carr’s latest remarks.
What It Means: Carr’s comments further connect editorial programming decisions with an active FCC licensing proceeding. As a result, broadcasters will likely watch the ABC case closely because its outcome could shape future debates over public interest obligations, presidential coverage, and how far federal regulators should weigh newsroom decisions during license renewals.
Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.