FCC chair asks if YouTube TV ‘discriminates against faith-based programming’

Federal Communications Chairman Brendan Carr wants to know whether YouTube TV has a policy that “discriminates” against faith-based channels. In a letter sent to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, Carr cites a complaint raised by Great American Media, which claims the service “refuses” to carry one of its networks.

Carr notes that while the FCC currently has limited authority over virtual multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) like YouTube TV, the agency is considering whether to expand its rules to include them. He adds that Google has benefitted from Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields online platforms from being held legally accountable for what their users post. Carr has said he wants to limit the protections for tech companies under the law.

“Importantly, these allegations of faith-based discrimination come at a time when American public discourse has experienced an unprecedented surge in censorship,” Carr wrote. “In too many cases, tech companies silenced individuals for doing nothing more than expressing themselves and in the digital town square.”

Carr asks Pichai and Mohan to brief the FCC on YouTube TV’s carriage negotiations process, “including the potential role of viewpoint-based discrimination.” The channel mentioned by Carr, Great American Family, is distributed across cable providers and digital services like Fubo, Sling, DirecTV Stream, and Hulu.

“We welcome the opportunity to brief the FCC on YouTube TV’s subscription service and the strategic business decisions we make based on factors like user demand, operational cost and financial terms, and to reiterate that we do not have any policies that prohibit religious content,” YouTube spokesperson Audrey Lopez said in a statement to The Verge. Great American Media still has a large presence across YouTube with its Pure Flix and Great American Family channels.

Along with this letter from Carr, Google is also facing a subpoena from Rep. Jim Jordan, who wants to know whether YouTube removed content at the request of the Biden administration.