WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission is escalating regulatory pressure on broadcasters, drawing sharp criticism from free speech advocates who say the agency is using license renewals to influence editorial decisions.
Ashkhen Kazaryan, a senior legal fellow at The Future of Free Speech, said the FCC's actions amount to policing private speech. The American Civil Liberties Union also views the moves as unconstitutional.
Critics argue the FCC is applying pressure the Supreme Court has ruled the government cannot impose on private speakers, and that the agency is acting outside its mandate by attempting to shape newsroom content.
The dispute has crystallized around an ABC early license renewal docket at the FCC. The commission's scrutiny during that process is seen as a direct mechanism to influence editorial judgment.
The ACLU, the National Coalition Against Censorship and 20 other advocacy organizations sent a letter to Disney, ABC's parent company, thanking the company for defending the First Amendment against the FCC's actions.
"When a license can be threatened over a joke or a newsroom's editorial judgment, broadcasters stop waiting to be censored and start self-censoring," Kazaryan said.
The FCC holds authority over broadcast licenses, which television and radio stations must hold to operate. That leverage gives the agency significant power during the renewal process.
The FCC docket remains open as legal and advocacy groups press their case against the commission.
