Over 25,000 Americans Petition FCC for Hearing on FOX 29 Philadelphia License Renewal

The Media and Democracy Project has mobilized over 25,000 individuals from across the United States to call for a Federal Communications Commission hearing regarding the broadcast license renewal of FOX Corporation-owned television station FOX 29 Philadelphia. This substantial public engagement represents a rare level of citizen participation in an FCC proceeding, with signatories coming from all fifty states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Milo Vassallo, executive director of MAD, emphasized the significance of this grassroots effort, noting the unusual groundswell of public engagement in what is typically a technical regulatory process.

At the core of the petition are serious allegations regarding FOX's conduct during and after the 2020 presidential election. The 611-page filing documents what it describes as character and rule violations related to WTXF's parent corporation's behavior, particularly the spreading of misinformation about the election. The petition argues that this intentional distortion of news, allegedly authorized at the highest levels of FOX's corporate structure, represents a severe breach of the FCC's policy on licensee character qualifications. The filing specifically cites the court decision in Dominion v. FOX, stating that the actions of Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch "shock the conscience" according to the legal finding.

Petitioners argue that these actions not only undermined the integrity of the 2020 election but also contributed to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. This connection between media conduct and public safety underscores the potential far-reaching consequences of broadcast license decisions. Former FOX Broadcasting executive Preston Padden noted the unprecedented nature of the situation, stating that never in the history of the Commission has the agency been confronted with a license renewal applicant whose parent company was found by a court of law to have repeatedly presented false news. This highlights the potential precedent this case could set for media regulation and accountability.

The petition has garnered support from a bipartisan group of former FCC officials, media veterans, and First Amendment scholars, emphasizing broad concern across various sectors about the implications of FOX's alleged conduct on media integrity and public trust. In October 2023, MAD filed a motion requesting the FCC to compel FOX to produce key nonpublic discovery from its various lawsuits, a move documented at https://www.mediaanddemocracyproject.org/fcc-motion-fox-discovery. This action aims to ensure full transparency and accountability in the license renewal process, though nine months have passed without significant FCC action beyond opening the petition for public comment.

The substantial public response underscores growing citizen concern about media organizations' role in maintaining democratic integrity. As stated in the filing, petitioners believe that "owning a broadcast station is more than a business—it is a public trust." This perspective challenges the FCC to consider not just the legal aspects of license renewal but also broader implications for public interest and democratic discourse. The case represents a critical juncture in debates about media responsibility, truth in reporting, and safeguarding democratic processes, with potential to influence how broadcast licenses are evaluated when questions of character and public trust are at stake.