Why is ABC30 asking viewers to write the FCC? Inside the Fresno station’s plea

ABC30 has been a part of Fresno’s television landscape for 70 years.

That status is now under attack, according to a campaign the station launched Monday.

“The FCC is questioning our commitment to viewers by threatening to take us off the air,” the station wrote in a post encouraging viewers to contact the federal agency that oversees the television industry (along with radio, cable and satellite communications).

“Use your voice and tell the FCC that Fresno deserves to keep its trusted local station KFSN.”

The post includes a link where viewers can leave a comment with the Federal Communications Commission.

At stake is the station’s broadcasting license, which was put under review in April and then officially filed last month. A comment period is open through July 29.

The FCC called for an early review of all Disney‘s broadcast TV licenses, including ABC’s eight owned-and-operated stations: in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, San Francisco, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno.

It was seen as escalation in the conflict between the FCC and ABC’s parent company, Disney, and came after ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel had a public dust-up with President Donald Trump in which the president demanded the host to be fired.

That timing was noted in a court filing from the network’s flagship station in May, which called the request for the early reviews “unlawful, arbitrary, and unconstitutional.”

“The Commission had not demanded early renewal in over five decades,” it wrote. “And it has never before demanded simultaneous license renewal applications from a group of stations commonly owned with a network as it has here.”

FCC and ‘The View’

It’s not the only fight the broadcast company has with the FCC currently.

Also under scrutiny is the network’s day-time talk show “The View,” which the FCC began investigating in November following an appearance by Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico. The agency alleged possible violations of the equal-time rule for political candidates.

ABC argues the show is a “bona fide news interview program,” and exempt from the rule. On Monday, it launched a separate on-air campaign in support of the show. “The View has welcomed your favorite guests for nearly 30 years,” ABC said in a commercial airing as part of the campaign. “Now the FCC wants to control who is allowed to appear on the show. Tell the FCC to let the viewers decide.” Viewers have until July 6 to reply to the FCC.

This kind of direct, mass appeal to viewers isn’t unusual.

Local stations have long used their platforms to call out the opposition in contract disputes with service providers. See: DirecTV’s standoff with Sinclair (and Nextstar) stations in 2019. In 2018, Sinclair used its affiliate stations and anchors (including those at KMPH) in a campaign to shame so-called “fake news”.