ABC Opposition to FCC License Review

ABC submitted a critical filing to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), opposing petitions against its stations’ license renewals. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr expedited the review of licenses for eight ABC-owned stations. Originally set for renewal between 2028 and 2031, this process was brought forward amid tensions between the Trump administration and ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

Stations Under Review

The eight ABC stations, including KFSN-TV in Fresno and KABC-TV in Los Angeles, must prove they have been operating in the public interest with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices. ABC claims this action is retaliatory, although the filing does not specifically mention Kimmel.

“There is no question why the Commission is singling out these eight stations: Each is owned by ABC, and the Administration has openly and repeatedly called for the revocation of ABC’s licenses, because it dislikes the content and viewpoints expressed on ABC network programs,” ABC’s legal team stated.

Support for these stations has been significant. ABC highlighted over 140,000 comments from local communities, indicating strong backing from viewers, local police, charities, businesses, and schools.

FCC’s DEI Investigation

ABC insists that the FCC has spent 18 months trying to find grounds for revoking the stations’ licenses but has found none. The Trump administration has had ongoing disputes with Kimmel over his criticisms of the president. Additionally, the FCC has launched a probe into the ABC daytime show “The View” and criticized the network for not broadcasting Trump’s primetime address.

ABC argued that the retaliation against it serves as a warning to media companies about adhering to the administration’s expectations. ABC maintains that calling licenses into question without substantiated DEI violations is excessive and premature.

An FCC spokesperson emphasized that broadcasters must operate in the public interest, avoiding any partisan or invidious DEI discrimination.

Conservative Reaction

The Media Research Center (MRC), a conservative watchdog group, supports the early review of ABC’s licenses, stressing the necessity for the FCC to examine documented conduct over political disagreements.

MRC President David Bozell remarked, “ABC’s defense boils down to this: ‘Trust us.’ Americans do not, which is why confidence in the media is at historic lows. Our filing is not based on hurt feelings or political disagreement. It is based on documented conduct. We look forward to the FCC reviewing the facts rather than the distractions.”