Published September 28, 2024
If nothing else, the 2024 election cycle has been educational for Americans. We learned that everyone in Joe Biden’s inner circle was covering up his mental condition, we learned that Kamala Harris is basically an empty pantsuit, and that her running mate Tim Walz thinks that there is “no guarantee on free speech…” But he’s just talking about the speech he doesn’t like. But now we are learning that a federal agency may be bending the rules for speech they like, and the results, ironically, would be a disaster for free speech.
Back in February, my colleague Bob Hoge reported on left-wing billionaire George Soros’s attempt to buy into a large chunk of the “Audacy” chain of radio stations after the company declared bankruptcy. Soros sank a whopping $400 million into acquiring part of the 220 station network. So, what is the latest on Soros’s attempt to control a good portion of the nation’s airwaves?
Recently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) quietly approved Soros’s acquisition of 200 of those stations spanning 40 U.S. markets weeks before the 2024 presidential election. I certainly wouldn’t want to use the term “election interference,” but these stations reach nearly 165 million Americans. But there are several problems here.
Under the Federal Communications Act, any corporation that holds a radio station license can have no more than 25 percent foreign ownership. Soros himself has acknowledged that his purchase exceeds that amount. But the best part is that he is essentially asking to be exempt from the rules and wants the FCC not only to waive the foreign ownership clause but also to expedite the application approval.
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SOURCE: www.redstate.com
RELATED: House Oversight lawmakers probe FCC over ‘expedited’ George Soros radio purchase
Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., (Bonnie Cash/Getty Images) and Rep. James Comer, R-Ky. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Published September 28, 2024
The purchase would allow a Soros-backed group to take ownership of Audacy’s network of 200 U.S. radio stations across 40 markets. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr alleged during an Oversight Committee hearing last week the agency was deviating from its normal procedure by allowing the purchase to take place.
Soros’s deal, he claimed, potentially breaks a rule preventing more than 25% foreign ownership of U.S. radio stations.
“I think what’s interesting about it is that the FCC is not following its normal process for reviewing transactions that it has established over a number of years,” Carr warned. “It seems to me the FCC is poised, for the first time, to create an entirely new shortcut.”
House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., and Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., led Thursday’s announcement. The Oversight Committee lawmakers cried foul in a press release, claiming the FCC appeared to be abandoning its “established process” to accommodate the Soros deal.
“Despite the unprecedented nature of this action, the FCC majority has apparently decided to approve licenses on an accelerated timeframe for a company in which George Soros has a major ownership stake, and with stations in 40 media markets reaching ‘more than 165 million Americans,’” they wrote.
By all appearances, the FCC majority isn’t just expediting but is bypassing an established process to do a favor for George Soros and facilitate his influence over hundreds of radio stations before the November election,” they concluded.
In a letter to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, the lawmakers demanded a slew of documents and communications between the agency and Soros Fund Management. The lawmakers gave the agency a tight deadline of Oct. 3, just one week from the time of their letter.
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SOURCE: www.thenationaldesk.com
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