ABC faced renewed scrutiny after several conservative organizations petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deny the network’s broadcast license renewals. The filings targeted everything from Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show to ABC’s journalism, diversity initiatives, and alleged political bias.
The petitions arrived after the FCC, led by Chairman Brendan Carr, required ABC to begin its license renewal process earlier than expected. Reportedly, the review stemmed from the commission’s investigation into the network’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, though outside groups used the proceeding to raise additional objections.
A group of conservative organizations petitioned the FCC to deny ABC’s license renewal requests
According to The Guardian, the Center for American Rights filed one of several petitions arguing that ABC was not operating “in the public interest.” The organization claimed the network demonstrated “a consistent and overt partisan bias,” citing Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night program, ABC’s moderation of the 2024 presidential debate, and what it described as failures to uphold journalistic standards.
The same filing also alleged that “ABC cozies up to the Communist Chinese Party” while failing to comply with FCC rules, according to The Guardian, which reviewed the petition.
The publication also reported that the conservative Media Research Center submitted its own petition, accusing ABC of using its stations “to suppress news coverage of the most critical stories of our day,” while engaging in electioneering, political bias, and misinformation.
Meanwhile, The Guardian reported that the Article III Project focused its petition on Disney’s employment practices, arguing ABC’s parent company violated federal equal employment opportunity laws through its diversity hiring policies. America First Legal also filed objections, claiming ABC lacked the “character qualifications necessary to hold broadcast licenses,” according to the report.
The FCC had not ruled on any of the allegations at the time of the filings. The Guardian reported that ABC was given until July 29 to respond to the petitions, with replies due by August 5. The matter could then be referred to an administrative law judge for further proceedings or handled directly by FCC commissioners.
For now, the allegations remain claims made by outside organizations as the FCC continues reviewing whether ABC’s licenses should be renewed.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK THE FCC SHOULD TAKE THESE PETITIONS INTO ACCOUNT WHEN DECIDING WHETHER TO RENEW ABC’S BROADCAST LICENSES?
Originally reported by Vanshika Vasundhare Singh on Reality Tea
