A group of prominent Senate Democrats has written to Brendan Carr, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair, urging him to rescind an order requiring ABC to apply early for renewal of its television licenses. The letter, sent on Thursday, describes the demand as an “extraordinary abuse of power” and a violation of the First Amendment.
The eight ABC-owned station licenses were not originally due for renewal until between 2028 and 2031. The FCC’s order, issued last week, requires renewal applications to be filed by the end of May. The move came a day after President Donald Trump and his wife called for the firing of late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel over a poorly timed joke, though Carr has linked the order to an investigation into diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices at ABC’s parent company, Disney.
The letter, led by Senators Edward J. Markey, Chuck Schumer, Maria Cantwell and Ben Ray Luján, and signed by eight other senators, accuses Carr of using the FCC’s licensing authority as “a cudgel against broadcasters whose editorial choices displease the President.” It states: “Although the FCC has the authority to ensure broadcasters operate in the public interest, it cannot serve as President Trump’s roving censor, threatening to revoke licenses against broadcasters whose editorial content – including a comedian’s jokes – displeases the President.”
The FCC has two other open investigations into ABC, including one based on a 2024 complaint about debate moderation and another into whether the show The View violated equal time rules. The senators’ letter poses a series of questions to Carr, including whether he or his staff communicated with the White House before the order was issued. Carr has denied any external pressure, stating at an FCC meeting: “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.”
The senators have requested responses to their questions by 21 May. They also asked whether the FCC considered less aggressive steps before issuing the order, given its nearly unprecedented nature.
