FCC Orders Early Review of ABC Licenses the Day After Trump Attacks Jimmy Kimmel |
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As President Trump continues to attack media organizations and journalists, we speak with a sitting member of the Federal Communications Commission about how the administration has weaponized the FCC to go after his perceived enemies in the media. Anna Gomez is the sole Democratic commissioner on the FCC, which is currently operating with just three commissioners instead of the usual five. She criticizes the agency’s recently announced review of ABC television licenses, which comes after President Trump called for the firing of ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. Under Chair Brendan Carr, the FCC has repeatedly gone after critics of the president by threatening to revoke valuable broadcast licenses.
“This administration is using any point of leverage that it has to go after its critics,” says Gomez, who was appointed by President Joe Biden in 2023.
Gomez also discusses how media consolidation impacts public choice, including the pending merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery, which would bring an unprecedented number of properties under the ownership of the Trump-aligned Ellison family.
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. I’m Amy Goodman, broadcasting today from Toronto, Canada. Juan González is in Chicago.
FCC Demands Review of All ABC Station Licenses Following Kimmel Joke on Trump
As President Trump continues to attack media organizations and journalists, we turn now to look at the Federal Communications Commission targeting of Disney, the parent company of ABC. Last week, FCC Chair Brendan Carr ordered a review of eight local ABC TV licenses. They were not scheduled to be up for renewal until 2028, but Carr ordered an early review, which could lead to ABC being stripped of the licenses.
Carr made the announcement one day after President Trump and first lady Melania Trump publicly demanded ABC fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel once again, this time over a joke he made about them. Carr has denied there was a connection, citing a separate FCC investigation into Disney’s DEI — that’s diversity, equity and inclusion — policies. Carr was questioned by reporters last week.
DAVID SHEPARDSON: Was there any connection? Did you feel any pressure? Was the timing at all, you know, as a result of White House pressure, what happened on Saturday night? BRENDAN CARR: No, this was a decision that we made inside this building based on where we were in the enforcement matter. There was no pressure from the outside. There was no suggestion from the outside. There was no call for agency action from the outside. This was based on our assessment of where we were. With respect to President Trump, obviously, he has every right, First Amendment right, to express his position on this. One of the great things about President Trump is he’s very transparent. He has told publicly his position. He has every right to make the decisions that he’s made, to make the public calls that he’s made. Same with the first lady. And there’s a lot of people out there that agree with them. DAVID SHEPARDSON: And to just — can I ask, on — and then, will the Jimmy Kimmel, will that all or any speech issues be part of this review? Is it solely restricted to DEI, the license, the early license reviews? BRENDAN CARR: Our DEI review is going to continue and is going to be part of that. We are calling their licenses in for early renewal. I think they have eight station licenses. Once they make that filing, then anybody can file petitions to deny. We can’t control what claims they make in their petitions to deny. And we’ll take a look at all of that.
DAVID SHEPARDSON: Was there any connection? Did you feel any pressure? Was the timing at all, you know, as a result of White House pressure, what happened on Saturday night?
BRENDAN CARR: No, this was a decision that we made inside this building based on where we were in the enforcement matter. There was no pressure from the outside. There was no suggestion from the outside. There was no call for agency action from the outside. This was based on our assessment of where we were.
With respect to President Trump, obviously, he has every right, First Amendment right, to express his position on this. One of the great things about President Trump is he’s very transparent. He has told publicly his position. He has every right to make the decisions that he’s made, to make the public calls that he’s made. Same with the first lady. And there’s a lot of people out there that agree with them.
DAVID SHEPARDSON: And to just — can I ask, on — and then, will the Jimmy Kimmel, will that all or any speech issues be part of this review? Is it solely restricted to DEI, the license, the early license reviews?
BRENDAN CARR: Our DEI review is going to continue and is going to be part of that. We are calling their licenses in for early renewal. I think they have eight station licenses. Once they make that filing, then anybody can file petitions to........