FCC Chair Calls on Broadcasters to Air Pro-America Content

Brendan Carr, the Trump-appointed chair of the Federal Communications Commission, announced a Pledge America Campaign urging television broadcasters to air patriotic, pro-america content to mark the U. S. ’s 250th anniversary. The announcement tied the effort to the White House’s Salute to America 250 Task Force and framed it as a push for civic education and national pride.

Pledge America Campaign Announced

Carr presented the Pledge America Campaign as part of the Salute to America 250 Task Force agenda and described it as an opportunity for broadcasters to support celebrations of the nation’s 250th birthday. The agency’s announcement said the campaign enables broadcasters to lend their voices in support of Task Force 250 by airing patriotic, pro-America programming that highlights the country’s historical accomplishments through the Trump Administration era.

Suggested On-Air Examples for Stations

As part of the guidance, Carr suggested concrete programming choices for local stations, including starting “each broadcast day” with The Star-Spangled Banner or the Pledge of Allegiance. He framed such programming as nonpartisan celebration and civic education that broadcasters could tailor to local communities while fulfilling public-interest obligations. Carr also referenced the decline in civic education and noted that classic educational programming has largely moved to online archives.

Regulatory Backdrop and Recent Actions

The announcement arrives amid Carr’s broader regulatory posture. He has expressed a desire to help local stations push back on national networks over reverse compensation for programming. Carr has also taken an aggressive stance in applying FCC rules to address what he characterizes as pro-left bias in some national programming, including threats to investigate local stations for “news distortion” if they aired certain late-night content. The FCC is investigating a daytime talk show called "The View" for a possible equal-time rule violation after a political candidate appeared, and a late-night host said network lawyers blocked a recent interview over equal-time concerns.

Next Steps and Potential Impact

Carr framed the campaign as promoting civic education, national pride and shared history, urging broadcasters to pledge programming that celebrates the American journey. If stations sign on to the pledge, programming schedules could shift to include more civic-oriented or celebratory content tied to the 250th anniversary. The campaign’s framing links content choices to broadcasters’ public-interest responsibilities, which could inform how regulators view station programming decisions going forward.

Key takeaways

• The FCC chair launched the Pledge America Campaign to encourage patriotic, pro-america programming tied to the 250th anniversary.
• Carr proposed practical on-air steps like opening each broadcast day with the national anthem or pledge.
• The initiative comes amid heightened regulatory scrutiny of national programming and equal-time rules.