FCC Urged to Review Networks’ Decisions on Trump Broadcast

Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., is urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to examine ABC, NBC, and CBS’s broadcasting choices after they did not air or cut away from President Donald Trump’s primetime address on July 16. In a letter accessed by Fox News Digital, Carter requested FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to evaluate if these actions violated the networks’ duty to serve the public interest and consider this in future license assessments.

‘The public airwaves should inform the American people,’ Carter emphasized, expressing concerns over corporate decisions limiting what national matters the public hears.

Carter noted that networks could critique or analyze the President’s statements yet still provide coverage. The lack of broadcast, according to Carter, denied Americans the chance to evaluate the information personally, especially concerning election interference. ABC and NBC opted not to air the speech on their main networks, while CBS stopped coverage before the speech’s end.

Carter argued that streaming the speech was inadequate for those lacking reliable internet, asserting the importance of free, over-the-air television access.

President Trump, in his address, accused the networks of participating in a ‘plot’ to conceal information and called for the revocation of their broadcast licenses. He announced the release of intelligence documents related to election vulnerabilities, including claims about Chinese access to U.S. voter data and other voting system issues.

Fox News Digital could not independently verify the claims made by President Trump or the contents of the released documents.

Following the speech, ABC and NBC streamed it on digital platforms, later providing summaries on television. CBS provided analysis before airing the speech partially, cutting away after critical comments about ABC and NBC.

Carter believes the allegations discussed in Trump’s speech, touching on election integrity and national security, warranted live television coverage. Comments were sought from the FCC, ABC, NBC, and CBS.