FCC chairman defends actions against ABC, says broadcasters must operate 'in the public interest'
- FCC Chairman Brendan Carr stated that broadcasters have a duty to operate in the public interest.
- Carr emphasized that broadcasters like ABC receive free access to public airwaves in exchange for serving the public.
- ABC accused the FCC of retaliating against it for its political content, claiming the agency is trying to chill free speech.
- The FCC's review of ABC's broadcast licenses is part of a larger conflict between the network and the agency.
- ABC reported that over 140,000 comments from viewers were submitted in support of its position during the license renewal process.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr on Friday defended his agency’s recent actions against ABC, saying broadcasters have a duty to "operate in the public interest" and the FCC is merely trying to restore that standard.
Carr stated in an interview that broadcasters like ABC have struck a deal with the American people, receiving subsidized access to valuable public resources in exchange for their obligation to serve the public interest.
ABC has accused the FCC of retaliating against it due to the political content of its shows, claiming that the agency's actions are an attempt to chill free speech across the media landscape.
The FCC's review of ABC's local broadcast licenses is part of an ongoing confrontation between the network and the agency, which has also included discussions about equal-time rules for certain programs.
FCC主席为对ABC的行动辩护，称广播公司必须“以公众利益为重”
FCC主席Brendan Carr于周五为其机构近期对ABC的行动辩护，称广播公司有责任“以公众利益为重”，FCC只是试图恢复这一标准。
Carr在采访中表示，像ABC这样的广播公司与美国人民达成了协议，获得了对宝贵公共资源的补贴性使用权，以换取其服务公众利益的义务。
ABC指责FCC因其节目的政治内容对其进行报复，称该机构的行动是试图压制媒体领域的言论自由。
FCC对ABC地方广播许可证的审查是该网络与该机构之间持续对抗的一部分，双方还讨论了某些节目的平等时间规则。