A coalition of former Federal Communications Commission officials, including three former chairs appointed by Republican and Democratic presidents, filed a statement on Tuesday opposing an ongoing review of ABC’s television station licenses.
The group includes Mark S. Fowler, who chaired the FCC under Ronald Reagan; Alfred C. Sikes, who led the agency under George H.W. Bush; and Thomas E. Wheeler, who served as chair under Barack Obama. The filing also includes signatures from former senior staff members and advisers to past commissioners.
The FCC initiated an early license renewal process in late April following petitions to deny renewal for eight of ABC’s local stations. According to the former officials, this action came after criticism of ABC by Donald Trump and Melania Trump. The ex-commissioners characterized the early renewal order as “unprecedented in the history of the Federal Communications Commission” and stated it violates both the Communications Act and the Constitution. They argued the proceeding represents an attempt to “censor” the network’s speech and discourage other broadcasters from airing content the administration dislikes.
Conservative groups submitted the petitions to deny ABC’s licenses, including the Media Research Center and the Center for American Rights. The Center for American Rights alleged that ABC has engaged in bias and discrimination. The former FCC officials countered that these petitions improperly ask the agency to regulate content based on viewpoint, which they characterized as an unconstitutional expansion of FCC authority. They called on the commission to terminate the proceeding.
Interested parties have until August 5 to respond to the petitions. The FCC may then grant the license extensions, schedule hearings, or take other action. The process timeline remains unclear, leaving ABC’s eight stations in regulatory uncertainty regarding their long-term broadcasting status.
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