FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr is urging TV and radio stations to sign on to a new "Pledge America Campaign" that promotes what he calls patriotic, pro-US programming ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary. In a statement on Friday, Carr said the semiquincentennial is a chance to highlight the country's founding principles and future, asking broadcasters to commit to shows and segments that boost civic knowledge, national pride, and US history, per Politico. Suggested options include public service announcements on civics, historical specials, adding more historical context to news programs, daily recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance, playing the national anthem, or airing music by American composers such as John Philip Sousa, Duke Ellington, and George Gershwin.
Carr, who's already begun opening the FCC's monthly meetings with the Pledge of Allegiance, argued that civic education is waning, pointing to the nostalgia-status of the Schoolhouse Rock! series as an example. The initiative is billed as voluntary, but Carr said his urging comes because he thinks broadcasters should act in the "public interest," language he's used before to criticize news coverage and analysis, per the Hill. Carr's message is tied to a broader White House push to mark the 250th anniversary, including reviews of Smithsonian exhibits to ensure they emphasize American achievements.
But it arrives as the FCC faces criticism over what some see as an expanding role in influencing media content, with detractors arguing the agency is trying to curry favor with President Trump and raising alarms about potential First Amendment concerns. That tension most recently surfaced when CBS' Stephen Colbert accused his network's lawyers of overreacting to equal-time guidance from Carr and shelving an interview with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. CBS denied that characterization, and Carr said Colbert had other avenues to air the segment. (The FCC is also apparently looking more closely at The View.)
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