A major California television station is urging viewers to fight back after federal regulators launched a review of its broadcast license.
San Francisco’s ABC7/KGO-TV has begun airing messages asking Bay Area viewers to contact the Federal Communications Commission and support keeping the station on the air.
“No one supports your community like Channel 7. But the FCC questions that commitment,” the station says in an on-air appeal.
ABC7 says the FCC is “questioning our commitment to viewers by threatening to take us off the air” and is urging supporters to contact regulators by July 29.
The campaign comes as Disney-owned ABC battles the FCC over the renewal of licenses for eight company-owned stations, including KGO-TV in San Francisco, KABC-TV in Los Angeles and WABC-TV in New York, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The FCC ordered ABC in April to file early renewal applications for its owned stations and said it was investigating possible violations of the Communications Act and agency rules, including prohibitions on unlawful discrimination.
ABC has pushed back, calling the order “unlawful, arbitrary and unconstitutional” and arguing regulators are targeting disfavored editorial voices.
The dispute has also expanded to a separate FCC proceeding involving ABC’s daytime talk show “The View” and whether it qualifies for a news-program exemption under federal equal-time rules.
Under federal law, the FCC can renew a station’s license, impose conditions or deny renewal after a hearing if it determines a broadcaster failed to serve the public interest.
The fight comes just weeks after longtime ABC7 news executive Tracey Watkowski abruptly exited the station after nearly 15 years as news director.
According to trade publication FTVLive, Watkowski and the station “decided to move in different directions.”
It was not immediately clear what led to her departure.
