Until now, the FCC has not considered programming when taking into account a station’s license. However, the Media and Democracy Project, an advocacy group backed by Preston Padden, wants that to change, as it claims falsehoods shared by a Fox Televison Stations-owned broadcast TV station in Philadelphia during the 2020 U.S. presidential election season is grounds for preventing its license renewal.

While the merits of that fight are being debated, the Chairwoman of the FCC has circulated amongst the Commissioners a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that she believes will support local journalism.