Petersen asks FCC to remove Arizona PBS' broadcast license

An Arizona lawmaker is asking the Federal Communications Commission to revoke Arizona PBS’ (KAET-TV) license over how the station handled the airtime for the state’s gubernatorial candidates in 2022.

Arizona PBS is housed at Arizona State University. In 2022, it was set to host a debate between then-Democratic candidate Katie Hobbs and Republican candidate Kari Lake in partnership with the Clean Elections Commission.

But Hobbs declined to debate.

Then PBS offered both candidates a 30-minute interview, which only Hobbs did.

That decision permanently ended the partnership between Arizona PBS and the Clean Elections Commission, which has a policy of offering one-on-one candidate interviews to candidates if their opponents decline to debate. In following with that, the station would have only given an interview to Lake.

That’s actually what Arizona PBS said they would do in September 2022.

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Did ASU try to influence Arizona PBS's choice to grant Katie Hobbs a solo interview in 2022?

Sam Dingman

It feels like ancient Arizona political history at this point, but back in 2022, then gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs refused to debate her then-opponent, Kari Lake. Now, nearly three years later, a new report in the Arizona Republic reveals some behind-the-scenes deliberations that led up to Hobbs’ announcement of her interview, raising questions about how and why the interview was scheduled.

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“Arizona Secretary of State and Democratic candidate for Gov. Katie Hobbs declined an invitation to debate, so there will be no gubernatorial debate. However, in accordance with Arizona law, Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake will participate in a one-on-one interview with Simons on Wednesday, Oct. 12, from 5o 5:30 p.m.,” the station posted online.

Public records recently provided to the Arizona Republic by ASU show that university president Michael Crow and other higher-ups discussed not wanting to give airtime to Lake’s false claim that the 2020 election was stolen and considered Hobbs’ political prospects.

“Whatever the format there remains the fact that it is our venue and brand. We need structure … and format ... and ... people who believe in elections as participants,” Crow wrote to Arizona State’s Media Enterprise Director Mi-Ai Parrish.

An ASU spokesperson directed KJZZ to a statement asserting that they’re obligated to give candidates equal time because of their FCC broadcast license.

“While the Clean Elections Commission was the producer of the debate, Arizona PBS continued to maintain its responsibilities under its license and to its viewers by providing coverage of the elections separate from and in addition to the debates. Debates are not the sole mechanism for informing the public about elections,” the statement said.

Now Republican Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) is asking for the FCC to revoke Arizona PBS’ broadcast license on the basis of viewpoint discrimination and election interference.

“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 wrote in a letter to FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr.

Without an FCC license, Arizona PBS cannot operate.

Petersen did not respond to requests for comment.

Carr was appointed by President Donald Trump in January. He promptly opened investigations into PBS and NPR for allegedly violating commercial advertising regulations. KJZZ is an NPR affiliate station.

Lake, who has also falsely claimed that the 2022 election she lost was “stolen,” said on social media that ASU colluded to rob her of her First Amendment rights to help Hobbs get elected.

“.@michaelcrow & @ASU not only interfered with the journalistic independence & ethics of the taxpayer-funded @azpbs by injecting their political opposition to me into the debate process, but they also infringed on my 1st Amendment rights while committing BLATANT election interference. The 2022 election in Arizona was compromised in so many ways. This is just another piece of the puzzle,” Lake said on X.

“This is government-funded censorship, plain & simple. ASU weaponized taxpayer resources to silence a Republican candidate because they didn’t like her viewpoint.” Clean Elections officials were blindsided. This was viewpoint discrimination at the highest level — part of a nationwide pattern under Biden of silencing conservatives and undermining free speech. Arizona taxpayers deserve answers. Accountability starts NOW,” Arizona Republican Party Chair Gina Swoboda posted.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to add the station's call letters and to clarify subsequent references to Arizona PBS. It also has been updated to clarify the Clean Elections Commissions policy of offering one-on-one candidate interviews to candidates if their opponents decline to debate.