WASHINGTON, D.C. — “In the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen from you a lot of discussion about individual programs,” Jim Rutenberg, an at-large writer for The New York Times, asked FCC Chairman Brendan Carr during a post-November Open Meeting press conference on Tuesday. Rutenberg mentioned, in particular, “The View,” the ABC roundtable talk show that many conservatives have called partisan.
Should the FCC look at this program and similar shows as to whether it is bona fide news — or something running afoul of Commission rules?
Policing content is something many have voiced strong objections to when it comes to the FCC. Rutenberg asked if there’s going to be much more activity out of the FCC itself — not from the local station level — “looking show by show whether these national or syndicated programs are meeting the public interest standards or equal time considerations.”
How deep does Carr expect to go from his perch atop the FCC?
The Chairman replied that he’s been pretty clear about how for several years or decades, “the FCC has walked away from enforcing the public interest standard when it comes to local broadcasters.” And, he doesn’t think the FCC straying from the standard has been a good thing.
Smiling as he said there’s “been a little bit of a crash course for people” to understand the complicated difference between networks and local station groups, Carr continued, “Licensed broadcast TV is fundamentally different than other distribution means.”
Thus, cable TV shows are different. “You can like it or not like it, but on licensed TV, which has been given, originally, spectrum for free, a unique license to operate on specific megahertz which denies other people the ability to do that, special statutory protections as well, there come with it public interest obligations,” Carr said.
Thus, there is a “news distortion” policy at the FCC. There is a “broadcast hoax” rule, too, along with “KidVid,” and obscenity and indecency rules that don’t apply to cable, streaming or “the person on the soapbox across the street.”
But, should the FCC examine episode after episode of a show like “The View”?
Carr didn’t directly answer the question.
