Article Source:  CA U.S. Congressman Kevin Mullin

San Francisco, CA – As the Trump Administration continues to attack the freedom of the press, Rep. Kevin Mullin led the Bay Area’s congressional delegation in criticizing the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) threat to silence local news affiliate KGO-TV (ABC7) by calling for an early renewal of its broadcast license.

Warning that the early renewal is politically-motivated retaliation and contrary to the First Amendment, the lawmakers submitted a letter in support of KGO and the communities who rely on the station for essential news, emergency alerts, and educational programming.

The outlet’s renewal process was originally set to happen in 2028, but after President Trump complained about critical news coverage and expressed a desire to retaliate against his opponents, including threatening to take away broadcast station licenses, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr jumped into action. In May, the FCC abruptly began the early license renewal process for eight ABC affiliates across major U.S. cities, including San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

This vindictive action by the FCC follows a clear pattern of public threats from President Trump targeting independent media outlets and reporters that seek to hold him accountable. In the letter, the California lawmakers warn the regulatory agency is being weaponized to execute Trump’s demands to silence editorial choices, squash minority representation, and penalize corporate entities that resist political pressure – all of which stifle Americans’ freedom of speech nationwide.

“This early renewal process is merely a smokescreen to pursue President Trump’s vindictive agenda to silence minority voices and punish companies that decline to do his bidding,” the lawmakers wrote. “This has been a deeply disturbing and un-American attempt to censor critics contrary to the First Amendment.”

The FCC’s early license review follows politically-motivated attacks against ABC’s national programming, including against late-night host Jimmy Kimmel and daytime talk show “The View.” The Trump Administration’s disturbing pattern of undermining the freedom of the press also includes – with the help of congressional Republicans – eliminating nearly all funding for local public broadcasting, restricting credentialed news outlets from the White House and Department of Defense press pools, and routinely attacking reporters for critical coverage.

Local news stations serve as the bedrock of an informed democracy by encouraging civic engagement and holding people in power accountable. The San Francisco-based ABC station KGO-TV delivers over 45 hours of live news weekly, provides critical 24/7 public safety updates during extreme weather events, runs customer advocacy segments that have recovered millions of dollars for families across the Bay Area, and much more. In the letter sent as part of the public comment period, the lawmakers emphasized they strongly support KGO’s license renewal:

“For over 75 years, KGO has been operating in the public interest as a pillar of daily life in our region, offering reliable journalism, indispensable emergency information, and steadfast community engagement that our constituents and viewers rely on, especially in critical times of need. The station demonstrates its commitment to providing trustworthy local and national news and vital emergency information, positioning itself as a leader in delivering timely and lifesaving coverage to viewers,” the lawmakers wrote, adding “we urge the FCC to reconsider its unlawful censorship campaign against ABC and all other political opponents of President Trump immediately.”

The full letter can be read here, and in addition to Rep. Mullin, was signed by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, and Reps. Zoe Lofgren, Ted Lieu, Doris Matsui, Ro Khanna, Jimmy Panetta, Lateefah Simon, Mike Thompson, Jared Huffman, John Garamendi, Sam Liccardo, Ami Bera, Mark DeSaulnier, Laura Friedman, and Josh Harder. Rep. Mullin has been leading this effort to support KGO in coordination with Rep. Friedman, who is leading a similar effort to support KABC out of Los Angeles.

The public can also submit comments on the FCC’s website until July 29.