[Karah Rucker]
COMPLAINTS OF MEDIA BIAS AGAINST CBS, ABC, AND NBC HAVE BEEN **REVIVED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP’S NEW “FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION” CHAIR “BRENDAN CARR.”
THE FCC CHAIR UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION “JESSICA ROSENWORCEL” HAD DISMISSED THE COMPLAINTS OF BIASES IN ELECTION COVERAGE LAST WEEK.
BUT UNDER CARR – THE FCC WILL CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE THE COMPLAINTS –
CLAIMING THESE AFFILIATES “DISTORTED” THEIR BROADCASTS TO FAVOR VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS OVER NOW-PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP DURING THE HEAT OF THE ELECTION CYCLE.
FCC CHAIR BRENDAN CARR – TAKING OVER THE FEDERAL AGENCY THIS WEEK –
AND IMMEDIATELY REVERSING HIS PREDECESSOR’S DECISION TO DISMISS THREE BIAS COMPLAINTS.
THE NOW FORMER FCC CHAIRWOMAN CALLED THE COMPLAINTS “A WEAPONIZATION” OF THE AGENCY’s LICENSING AUTHORITY –
SAYING THE COMPLAINTS WERE “AT ODDS” WITH THE FIRST AMENDMENT’S PROTECTIONS OF A FREE PRESS.
BUT CARR SAYS THE DECISION TO DISMISS THE COMPLAINTS WAS DONE “PREMATURELY” BASED ON AN “INSUFFICIENT INVESTIGATION” THAT DESERVES “FURTHER CONSIDERATION.”
HERE’S THE THREE COMPLAINTS THE FCC WILL BE LOOKING AT–
ALL FILED BY THE LAW FIRM “CENTER FOR AMERICAN RIGHTS”.
AN ABC AFFILIATE IS ACCUSED OF BIAS – FAVORING HARRIS OVER TRUMP – DURING THE SEPTEMBER PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE.
A CBS AFFILIATE IS ACCUSED OF “NEWS DISTORTION” IN THE WAY 60 MINUTES EDITED ITS INTERVIEW WITH HARRIS.
AND AN NBC AFFILIATE IS ACCUSED OF VIOLATING AN “EQUAL TIME FCC RULE” WHEN “SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE” FEATURED KAMALA HARRIS IN A CAMEO THE WEEKEND BEFORE THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
THE “EQUAL TIME RULE” REQUIRES BROADCAST STATIONS TO GIVE EQUAL COVERAGE TO COMPETING POLITICAL CANDIDATES.
WHEN ROSENWORCEL DISMISSED THE “EQUAL TIME RULE” COMPLAINT – SHE SAID TRUMP WAS GIVEN AIRTIME THE NEXT DAY DURING A NASCAR RACE AND AN NFL SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL GAME –
AND SAID THE FCC SHOULDN’T BE “THE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH POLICE.”
DURING THE ELECTION CYCLE –
TRUMP HAD CALLED FOR ABC, CBS, AND NBC TO LOSE BROADCASTING RIGHTS OVER THE ISSUES DETAILED IN THESE COMPLAINTS.
NATIONAL NETWORKS ARE **NOT LICENSED BY THE FCC — **BUT THE FCC IS RESPONSIBLE FOR LICENSING INDIVIDUAL STATIONS – LIKE LOCAL NETWORK AFFILIATES.
WHICH IS WHY IN THE COMPLAINTS – A LOCAL AFFILIATE IS THE NAMED TARGET.
ACCORDING TO THE FCC’S OWN WEBSITE –
THE AGENCY HAS THE RIGHT TO IMPOSE A VARIETY OF PENALTIES ON A BROADCAST STATION – THAT INCLUDES HEFTY FINES AND REVOKING LICENSES –
BUT THE FCC SAYS IT “RARELY INTERVENES” –
DUE TO THE FINE LINE BETWEEN “NEWS DISTORTION” AND “FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.”
IF THE FORMER FCC CHAIR WOULD HAVE DISMISSED THESE THREE COMPLAINTS A FEW WEEKS EARLIER –
THEN IT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED TRUMP’S FCC CHAIR FROM BEING ABLE TO REVIVE THE CASES.
BUT THE COMPLAINTS WILL NOW GET A SECOND LOOK BY THE AGENCY UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP.
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FOR SAN – I’M KARAH RUCKER.