D.C. Memo: Carr Warns YouTube TV about Shunning Faith-Based Programming Channels

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FCC : FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is concerned that YouTube TV – Google’s online cable TV clone with at least 8 million subscribers – could be discriminating against faith-based programming provided by the Great American Family linear TV network. “Great American Media wrote me a letter in which they claim that YouTube TV deliberately marginalizes faith-based and family-friendly content,” Carr said in a March 7 two-page letter that he posted as images on his X feed. “Importantly, these allegations of faith-based discrimination come at a time when American public discourse has experienced an unprecedented surge in censorship.” GAM’s Great American Family channel “features original Christmas movies, rom-coms and classic series that celebrate faith, family and country,” according to its website. Carr is keeping a close eye on Big Tech’s content moderation practices. Facebook has already adopted a community notes approach in lieu of reliance on third-party fact checkers, who Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said were “too politically biased.” Carr’s letter included language suggesting he might want to look at YouTube TV’s relationship with local TV stations, who have complained that the Big Four networks represent them over their objections in carriage negotiations with YouTube TV and decide how much money they will get from the deal. “Over the last several years, the FCC and Congress have been encouraged by a diverse group of stakeholders to expand the [FCC’s] existing rules and to apply the same or similar framework to virtual MVPDs like YouTube TV,” Carr said in the letter. “The FCC has multiple open proceedings seeking comment on whether to do just that.” (Continued after paywall.)