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Take Action!

We're doing something about Fox’s 2020 election lies.

Join us in calling for an FCC hearing into Fox Corporation’s broadcast license for WTXF. Your voice matters!

Sign the Letter

Sign the Letter

TO: Marlene Dortch, Secretary
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

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We are a group of individuals from varying backgrounds standing together to encourage the FCC to hold a hearing on the Media & Democracy Project's Petition to Deny the broadcast license renewal application for FOX 29 Philadelphia (WTXF-TV).

 

Being granted an FCC broadcast license is a privilege, not a right. FOX and the Murdochs have betrayed the public trust by spreading dangerous misinformation about the 2020 election for the sole purpose of  improving ratings, as documented in the Dominion lawsuit. 

 

This deliberate manipulation of news to boost ratings undermines the very foundation of acting in the public interest, a requirement for broadcast license owners. The behavior of Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, Fox executives and FOX, is egregious and disqualifies them from being holders of a broadcast TV license.

 

We call upon the Federal Communications Commission to convene a public hearing on the broadcast renewal application of FOX 29 WTXF. The people have a right to know and understand the facts and considerations surrounding this crucial decision.

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Sincerely,

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Organization Sign On

If you belong to a public service or watchdog organization interested in publicly signing onto our Fox petition effort, please email info@MediaAndDemocracyProject.org with the subject “Organization Sign-On.”

Background

On July 3, 2023, the Media and Democracy Project (MAD) filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) a Petition to Deny the broadcast license renewal application for Fox Television Stations, LLC (FTS) owned television station FOX 29 Philadelphia (WTXF-TV). The ultimate parent entity of FTS is Fox Corporation.

 

As FCC broadcast licensees, FTS, Fox Corporation (FOX) and Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch are required to operate their broadcast stations in the public interest. They must also conform to the FCC's established character qualifications for broadcast licensees. In our petition, we argue that as revealed in the Dominion settlement documents, the same ownership (FOX Television Stations and the Murdochs) knowingly permitted the broadcast of election lies on Fox News and that this “shocks the conscience,” and fails to meet the “character qualification” to remain public interest broadcast licensees. In total, FOX owns 29 broadcast local TV stations - including WTXF - in addition to the cable Fox News Channel. 

 

Our petition has received vocal public support from a respected bipartisan group of FCC veterans and media experts who agree that the FCC must hold a hearing to determine whether FTS, Fox Corporation and the Murdochs can continue as licensees of the public airwaves. As a result of our effort and broad support, the FCC has opened our petition to public comment—a rare step that demonstrates the Commission’s seriousness and desire for public feedback.

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