The bone of contention is an appearance by Democrat James Talarico, who is running for US Senator for Texas.Image: keystone
May 8, 2026, 10:10 p.mMay 8, 2026, 10:10 p.m
In the debate about possible restrictions on press freedom by the US government, the broadcaster ABC News accuses the responsible media regulatory authority of violating freedom of speech. The actions of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are a deterrent and endanger freedom of expression protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution, according to a statement published by the authority. ABC News was reacting to the agency’s stricter rules, which, according to critics, are intended to specifically influence reporting before the congressional elections in the fall.
The background to the dispute is an appearance by Democrat James Talarico, who is running for US Senator for Texas. This was on the ABC program “The View” – to the annoyance of the FCC: Because Talarico was able to present his political goals there without a direct counterpart, the broadcaster, according to the authority’s interpretation, violated the obligation of equal treatment.
An ABC News station should then explain why “The View” qualifies as a news program and therefore does not have to comply with the equal treatment obligation. The station is also threatened with the withdrawal of its broadcasting licenses – these are currently being examined.
The FCC issues broadcasting licenses for television and radio in the USA. In return for a “valuable license to operate a station over public radio frequencies,” TV and radio stations are obliged to serve the “public interest,” the authority writes on its website. When issuing licenses, the authority traditionally takes a neutral approach. It is not allowed to censor content. The FCC has not refused a license extension for years, writes CNN.
ABC News: Freedom of speech could be compromised for years
ABC News criticizes this approach: There had previously been no ambiguity in this area. In addition, “uncertainties regarding the extent of editorial discretion” limited coverage of political candidates. This could “impair freedom of expression for years, possibly even decades.”
FCC boss Brendan Carr – an ally of US President Donald Trump – had also attracted attention in the past for other initiatives in which critics saw a restriction of media freedom. He repeatedly brought up the possibility of withdrawing licenses from broadcasters because of various programming decisions.
He made international headlines when he threatened ABC with consequences for the broadcast of Trump-critical late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. At the time, Trump and his government were accused of wanting to restrict freedom of expression. (sda/dpa)