ABC to FCC: Drop the Witch Hunt—We’re Not Your Scapegoat for Journalism That Bites Back

Tuesday in mid-August, while most of Manhattan’s media crowd is sweating out the heat at sidewalk cafes, ABC just lobbed a legal grenade straight at the FCC. The network isn’t mincing words: they say the commission’s latest early license renewal stunt is nothing but payback for reporting and programming that actually rattles cages. In their suit, filed this week, ABC claims the FCC’s order demanding early renewal applications from all ABC-owned stations is targeted, punitive, and smells like regulatory strong-arming.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t some garden-variety paperwork beef. License renewal timing is the FCC’s favorite crowbar for reminding broadcasters who’s boss. And ABC’s not wrong to call foul; the commission’s history of dragging its feet or moving the goalposts always seems to land hardest on outlets that dare to air stories the Beltway would rather bury. Ask any network news VP who tried to run a piece on telecom lobbying.

ABC’s lawyers are playing hardball, accusing the FCC of singling them out because of their editorial choices. If you think that’s melodrama, go pull the actual order: the feds didn’t bother to ask for early renewal from CBS, NBC, or even the usually uncontroversial PBS affiliates. ABC’s prime-time lineup and investigative desk have been taking aim at regulatory incompetence all summer—coincidence? Please.

The FCC’s defense, so far, is the bureaucratic equivalent of a shrug: “We have broad discretion.” Sure, and a toddler has broad discretion with a crayon, but that doesn’t make it good governance. If this gambit stands, expect every local news operation with a spine to get the same treatment the next time they piss off the wrong committee chair. ABC is fighting not just for its own paperwork—it’s putting the entire idea of adversarial journalism on the line.

Industry insiders are already whispering about a chilling effect. If the FCC can freeze your license just because your reporting stings, why bother with real journalism at all? ABC’s pushback is long overdue. Here’s the uncomfortable truth this summer: if you’re a broadcaster and you’re not pissing off the FCC, you’re probably not doing your job.