The FCC Chair Questions Whether YouTube TV Discriminates Against Religious Programming.
YouTube is undergoing critical scrutiny from the Trump administration.
The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Brendan Carr, has expressed concern regarding whether YouTube TV has a policy that could discriminate against faith-based channels. In a letter addressed to Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, and Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube, Carr mentions a complaint filed by Great American Media, which claims that the service has refused to include one of its channels.
Although Carr acknowledges that the FCC currently has limited authority over multichannel video programming distributors (MVPD) like YouTube TV, he has also indicated that the agency is considering the possibility of expanding its regulations to include these services. Furthermore, he highlighted that Google has benefited from Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects online platforms from being legally responsible for content posted by their users. Carr has expressed his intention to restrict these protections for tech companies.
The official emphasized that these allegations of discrimination against religious beliefs arise in a context where public discourse in the United States has faced a significant increase in censorship. “In too many cases, tech companies have silenced individuals simply for expressing themselves in the digital square,” Carr wrote.
In his communication, he requested that Pichai and Mohan provide information to the FCC regarding YouTube TV's negotiation processes related to content broadcasting, including the potential incidence of discrimination based on opinions. The mentioned channel, Great American Family, is already available through cable providers and digital services such as Fubo, Sling, DirecTV Stream, and Hulu.
For her part, a spokesperson for YouTube, Audrey Lopez, commented that they are willing to inform the FCC about YouTube TV's subscription service and their strategic business decisions, which are based on factors such as user demand, operational costs, and financial terms. She also reaffirmed that there are no policies prohibiting religious content. Despite this, Great American Media continues to have a strong presence on YouTube with its channels Pure Flix and Great American Family.
In addition to Carr's letter, Google is facing a subpoena from Representative Jim Jordan, who is seeking to clarify whether YouTube removed content at the request of the Biden administration.
