---
title: "The FCC Should Not Punish Broadcasters For Their Editorial Choices, Says ITIF"
summary: |-
  Following ABC’s lawsuit against the FCC to stop an early license renewal process for eight affiliated stations, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) released the following statement from ITIF Policy Analyst Ellis Scherer.
date: "2026-08-18"
content_type: "Press Releases"
canonical_url: "https://itif.org/publications/2026/08/18/the-fcc-should-not-punish-broadcasters-for-their-editorial-choices-says-itif/"
---

# The FCC Should Not Punish Broadcasters For Their Editorial Choices, Says ITIF

WASHINGTON—Following ABC’s lawsuit against the FCC to stop an early license renewal process for eight affiliated stations, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) released the following statement from ITIF Policy Analyst Ellis Scherer:

> *ABC’s lawsuit is right to call out the FCC's license review actions as an attempt to punish broadcasters for their editorial judgment. The renewal process the FCC is undertaking is a retaliatory effort targeting ABC and is based on an outdated understanding of the economics of spectrum scarcity. The FCC should recognize that the license renewal process is not exempt from the First Amendment. And if the FCC will not relent, then the courts should intervene.*

**Contact:** Austin Slater, [press@itif.org](mailto:press@itif.org)

---
*Source: Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF)*
*URL: https://itif.org/publications/2026/08/18/the-fcc-should-not-punish-broadcasters-for-their-editorial-choices-says-itif/*