FCC Chairman Defends Agency Scrutiny of Broadcasters After Court Ruling

The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission defended the agency's ongoing reviews of television broadcasters on Tuesday. The remarks followed a Supreme Court decision that gave the president authority to remove commissioners from independent agencies. The ruling overturned a 90-year-old precedent that had protected certain agency members from removal without cause.

In a separate opinion, Justice Neil Gorsuch cited an FCC chairman's earlier public comments about a network host as an example of agency authority. The opinion referenced a September 2025 appearance in which the chairman suggested broadcasters could face additional regulatory work if they did not address certain content.

Gorsuch used the example to illustrate how agencies exercise rulemaking, enforcement, and adjudication powers under broad statutes.

The chairman said on Real America's Voice that broadcast licenses are not immune from review. "It's been many, many years—decades—before the FCC has actually engaged with broadcasters and said to them, frankly, look, your licenses are not sacred cows," the chairman stated.

The chairman added that the agency had not reached final decisions in current proceedings but that licenses should not be treated as property that cannot be reviewed.

The FCC is examining whether a program on a Disney-owned network qualifies as news under commission rules and is reviewing the company's diversity policies. The agency has also called for early review of several station licenses held by the network's parent company.

Gorsuch warned that the ruling could allow coordinated regulatory actions across agencies if they ultimately answer to the White House. The opinion noted that businesses could face sequential actions from multiple regulators even if one investigation is avoided.