Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., has requested that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) review the broadcast licenses of ABC, NBC, and CBS. The congressman's action follows the networks' decisions to either decline airing President Donald Trump's July 16 primetime address live or to cut away from it before completion.
In a letter to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, Carter asked for an examination of whether the networks fulfilled their obligation to "serve the public interest." He also questioned whether these actions should be considered in future broadcast license proceedings.
"The public airwaves should inform the American people, not be used by corporate executives to decide which matters of national importance they are permitted to hear," Carter stated in the letter. He expressed "serious concerns" that the networks' decisions, while disagreeing with Trump's remarks, could prevent Americans from receiving information about potential foreign interference in elections.
Carter argued that the public deserved to hear the information directly from the President and make their own judgments, regardless of political affiliation. He noted that ABC and NBC did not broadcast the speech on their primary networks, and CBS cut away before the address concluded.
The congressman also contended that airing the speech on digital streaming services was not an adequate substitute for free, over-the-air television, especially for individuals without reliable broadband access. Carter asserted that the issues raised during Trump's address, concerning election integrity and national security, warranted live broadcast coverage.
President Trump, during the address, had called for the broadcast licenses of ABC and NBC to be revoked, accusing the networks of being part of a "plot" to "continue this fraud" and "protect the radical left."
"In a rare move, NBC and ABC fake news have both said that they would not cover this speech," President Trump said during the address. "They knew what it was about because they don't like the topic, because they know how corrupt our system is and they don't want to reveal it."
During his address, President Trump announced the "immediate declassification and release of critical intelligence" documents he claimed revealed "shocking vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure." According to the White House, these documents included files related to alleged voting system vulnerabilities, China's alleged acquisition of U.S. voter data, a Michigan voter registration investigation, and noncitizens on state voter rolls. The specific contents of these documents and the President's claims could not be independently verified by Fox News Digital at the time of the report.
"Just as disturbingly, this vital information has been covered up and hidden from you, the American people, our beautiful, great American people, for many years," President Trump stated. "But that all changes right now."
ABC News and NBC News streamed President Trump's speech on their digital platforms and later aired special reports summarizing his remarks on their broadcast networks. CBS News initially provided analysis, then aired part of the speech before cutting away after Trump criticized ABC and NBC.
Fox News Digital reached out to the FCC, ABC News, NBC News, and CBS News for comment.