Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen has officially requested that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) investigate Arizona PBS (KAET) over alleged “viewpoint discrimination” during the state’s controversial 2022 gubernatorial election, and has called for the revocation of the station’s broadcast license.
Arizona PBS Viewpoint Discrimination Sparks FCC Complaint by State Senate President
“Recently uncovered documents show that Arizona PBS violated legal rules, contractual requirements, and long-standing traditions to improperly put its thumb on the scale of the 2022 Arizona governor’s race.”
Petersen cited internal communications obtained from Arizona State University (ASU), which operates Arizona PBS, claiming they reveal partisan behavior by the station and favoritism toward Democratic candidate Katie Hobbs during her race against Republican Kari Lake.
Controversy Over 2022 Governor’s Race Coverage by Arizona PBS
In 2022, Hobbs declined to debate Lake, instead opting for a town hall-style forum where both candidates appeared separately. While Arizona PBS granted Hobbs a 30-minute solo interview, Lake’s equivalent interview, scheduled for October 12, 2022, was canceled just hours before airing.
This led to criticism that the station had acted unfairly and deviated from its public service mission. Petersen referenced emails between ASU officials, in which the head of the university’s media enterprise, Mi-Ai Parrish, acknowledged political concerns but downplayed their effect, writing:
“Katie is getting roasted hard, but I don’t think it will matter.”
The chief of staff to ASU’s president reportedly responded:
“I don’t think it matters either.”
According to Petersen, these communications indicate prejudgment of the election outcome and intentional editorial bias, particularly after university leaders allegedly questioned whether Lake should be given airtime due to her stance on election integrity.
Allegations of Bias: Arizona PBS Interview Decisions Under Scrutiny
Petersen argues that Arizona PBS failed to meet the public interest standards required of a federally licensed broadcaster, stating:
“Arizona PBS exhibited broadcaster favoritism for Hobbs and acted in a partisan, discriminatory fashion designed to serve the political advantage of a candidate.”
The letter asks the FCC to investigate Arizona PBS for violating its license obligations and for what Petersen describes as “blatant viewpoint discrimination against Kari Lake.”
He further criticized the delay in ASU’s response to public records requests, stating it took the university more than two years (743 days) to produce relevant emails.
FCC Urged to Investigate Arizona PBS Broadcast License Over Viewpoint Discrimination
In response to the allegations, Arizona State University referred media outlets to a public statement explaining their approach to election coverage. According to the statement:
“Arizona PBS had an arrangement with the Arizona Clean Elections Commission to host and broadcast debates among candidates for state offices. While the Clean Elections Commission was the producer of the debate, Arizona PBS maintained its responsibilities under its license by providing separate and additional coverage of the elections.”
The statement added that when Katie Hobbs chose not to debate, the Clean Elections Commission’s format conflicted with licensing obligations, so Arizona PBS offered individual interviews to both candidates. Hobbs accepted the offer, while Lake ultimately declined.
Arizona PBS Responds to Viewpoint Discrimination Allegations
Petersen’s letter compares the Arizona PBS situation to past FCC inquiries involving ABC News’ 2024 debate moderation and CBS News’ handling of a 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, suggesting a pattern of media bias that warrants federal oversight.
This controversy emerges amid broader political battles over media fairness, transparency, and public trust in journalism. Earlier this month, Congress passed legislation to eliminate taxpayer funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)—the primary source of funding for PBS and NPR—effectively shutting down its operations.
The FCC has not yet issued a public response to Petersen’s letter or indicated whether it will pursue a formal investigation into Arizona PBS. If the commission finds merit in the complaint, Arizona PBS could face fines, sanctions, or even license revocation—a rare but legally possible outcome.
Until then, the issue continues to fuel debate over media bias, election integrity, and the role of public broadcasting in American democracy.
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