FCC Chairman Brendan Carr sent a letter to Google to address allegations of faith-based discrimination by YouTube TV.
The claims arise from multiple unsuccessful attempts by Great American Media to have its linear network, Great American Family, carried on YouTube TV.
In a letter addressed to parent company Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and Google CEO Neal Mohan, Carr aimed to get some answers.
“Independent programmers frequently file complaints with the FCC when an MVPD [multichannel video programming distributor] (virtual or otherwise) refuses to carry their channel… But in the case of YouTube TV, concerns have been raised alleging that your company has a policy (secret or otherwise) that discriminates against faith-based programming,” Carr wrote Friday.
“For example, Great American Media wrote a letter to me in which they claim that YouTube TV deliberately marginalizes faith-based and family-friendly content. Great American Media states that its Great American Family network is the second fastest-growing channel in cable television and, while they are carried on a range of cable and streaming services, including Comcast, Cox, Hulu, FuboTV and DirecTV stream, YouTube TV refuses to carry them,” he continued.
After invoking the rise in censorship by tech giants in recent years, Carr added, “I am writing to determine whether YouTube TV has a policy or practice that favors discrimination against faith-based channels.” He set a March 11 deadline to schedule a briefing.
A spokesperson for YouTube told Fox News Digital, “We welcome the opportunity to brief the FCC on YouTube TV’s subscription service and the strategic business decisions we make based on factors like user demand, operational cost and financial terms, and to reiterate that we do not have any policies that prohibit religious content.”
Great American Media Chairman Doug Deason praised Carr’s letter to Google, saying in a statement, “We are grateful for Commissioner Carr’s commitment to ensuring that all voices—including those that reflect faith values—receive fair treatment on major streaming platforms.”
Carr has been busy as the FCC chair in the early weeks of the Trump administration. He released the unedited transcript and footage of the “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris as part of his investigation into whether CBS News violated the FCC’s “news distortion” policy.
He launched a probe into Comcast over its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices. Carr also launched an investigation into NPR and PBS and whether they were airing “prohibited commercial advertisements.”
