When ABC pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air on Wednesday, it blew up in seconds into far more than a late-night scheduling decision. The massive initial onslaught of media commentary has zeroed in on the political brawl — who was offended, who cheered, who screamed the loudest. But beneath the noise lies a far deeper and more important issue: the role of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), broadcast licenses, and how the phrase “public interest” gets used as both shield and sword in America’s fight over free expression.

Unlike streaming platforms or cable, broadcast TV runs on our public airwaves. Stations don’t own those airwaves; they lease them through FCC licenses. In exchange for the privilege of reaching every living room for free, broadcasters agree to serve the “publ

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