Jeff Westling Quoted in Politico Pro on FCC Licensing Review and Free Speech Concerns
A recent Politico Pro article discusses FCC Chair Brendan Carr’s decision to reopen the license renewals of eight Disney-owned ABC stations. ICLE Senior Scholar of Innovation Policy Jeffrey Westling was quoted on the risks of using broadcast-license reviews to pressure media companies, warning that the move raises serious free-speech concerns. Read the full piece here.
The timing of Tuesday’s order is most likely not a coincidence, said Jeff Westling, a senior scholar of innovation policy at the International Center for Law & Economics, a think tank focused on market issues. “I don’t think anybody’s really buying [DEI] as the excuse,” Westling, who once worked for Carr, told POLITICO. “The real issue here is that the president doesn’t like the coverage, and the FCC is acting. And that’s not a good thing for free speech.”Still, Westling said Carr should be careful about complicating the terms of private affiliate agreements — a road that could risk unraveling key parts of broadcast TV.
Westling calls the license scrutiny a notable escalation: In past months, Carr has often opened investigations based on complaints filed by outside groups — such as one from the conservative Center for American Rights accusing “60 Minutes” of news distortion for its editing of an interview with Kamala Harris. Now the FCC is reopening Disney’s licenses on its own.