In an interview on Friday on St. Louis radio station NewsTalkSTL, Media Research Center (MRC) President David Bozell joined host Mike Ferguson to discuss a pivotal shift at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). For decades, broadcast networks have operated under a lax interpretation of federal law, but under the leadership of Chairman Brendan Carr, the era of non-compliance is coming to an end.
For years, networks have bypassed federal requirements for political equal opportunities, effectively turning public resources into partisan platforms. Bozell highlighted staggering data from the MRC showing that last year 99% of late-night talk show guests were left-wing with The View hosted 128 liberal guests compared to just two conservatives.
Broadcast networks (ABC, NBC, and CBS) use public airwaves for free—a privilege Bozell describes as a massive taxpayer subsidy. The "price of admission" for these licenses is the Equal Time rule.
"The FCC is doing its job. Broadcasters use public airwaves for free, and in return they are required to follow the law. Equal time and fair treatment are not optional. They are the price broadcasters agreed to pay for what is effectively a massive taxpayer subsidy," Bozell noted.
The FCC is not introducing anything new; it is simply enforcing existing laws to ensure any legally qualified candidate receives comparable time and placement. As Bozell puts it, if networks find the "public interest" standard too burdensome, they are free to move to cable or YouTube.
Listen to full interview here.
