FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has launched an investigation into Audacy San Francisco’s KCBS-AM after the station broadcast the locations of undercover Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during deportation operations in the San Jose area.
The controversy stems from the January 26 edition of KCBS Radio Weekend News, where host Bret Burkhart was reporting on ICE activity in the area. While covering a statement from San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, Burkhart also included a statement from the Santa Clara County Rapid Response Network, described as “a community defense project developed to protect immigrant families from deportation threats.”
The Response Network reports, read on-air, gave the color, make, and model of three unmarked vehicles as well as two specific locations of reported agent activity.
Chairman Carr believes KCBS-AM may have violated licensing rules requiring broadcasters to serve the public interest. The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau has sent a formal Letter of Inquiry to the station as part of its review.
“I want to express my thanks and appreciation to DHS and ICE agents. These law enforcement professionals are honorably serving this country and carrying out vital missions. Their safety is paramount. The FCC will hold broadcasters accountable for complying with their public interest obligations,” Carr told Fox News Digital.
The investigation comes as Carr weighs revisiting a previous commission vote on Audacy’s post-bankruptcy restructuring due to concerns over ownership ties to billionaire and Democratic donor George Soros, which has been an area of concern for many Republican leaders. While Audacy has officially closed its bankruptcy case, when asked by Fox Business about the deal in November, Carr said, “There’s a petition for reconsideration pending at the FCC right now, and I want to take a very hard look at that.”
News reporting covering ICE activity is Constitutionally protected conduct as with any police – and proven necessary to help hold public officials to account, regardless of whether they are overt or undercover.
If George Soros is a funder and on the board of Audacy, would it be a surprise if he directed Audacy stations to broadcast locations of ICE activity?