warns Congress will pursue legislative remedies, including mandatory retroactive review, if the Commission fails to uphold the intent of existing foreign ownership protections under federal law.
Pursue legislative remedies, including mandatory retroactive review, if the FCC fails to uphold existing foreign ownership protections for broadcast licenses.
Occurrences
Evidence
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On May 14, 2026, Liccardo said he and Rep. Deborah Ross led a coalition warning Paramount Skydance that the merger faces extensive regulatory review. The letter said claims that the transaction had effectively cleared regulatory hurdles were false, and it raised concerns that sovereign wealth fund financing could trigger national security review and CFIUS scrutiny.
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On May 1, 2026, Liccardo publicly backed a letter to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr urging denial of Paramount’s foreign-ownership petition. The statement says the ownership structure raises unresolved national-security and public-interest questions and notes he warned Congress could later act on harder caps or divestitures if the FCC approves the petition.
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The FCC adopted foreign-adversary-control attestation and disclosure rules covering broadcast licenses and Section 310(b) declaratory-ruling petitions that are pending or have been granted, requiring more immediate reporting rather than waiting for the next license-renewal cycle.
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Liccardo sent Paramount CEO David Ellison a letter raising national-security concerns about Middle East sovereign wealth fund financing for the Warner Bros. Discovery bid and asking Paramount to submit voluntarily to CFIUS review and disclose protections against foreign influence over media and data.
Assessments
Liccardo has taken same-term oversight steps on the foreign-ownership issue, including letters urging FCC denial, warning Paramount Skydance about regulatory scrutiny, and pressing for CFIUS/national-security review. But the record does not show that he introduced, sponsored, or materially advanced a legislative remedy such as mandatory retroactive review, nor that such a remedy was enacted. Because he remains in the same federal term and the promised legislative pursuit could still occur, the claim is not yet fully failed or delivered.
Liccardo has taken same-term oversight actions tied to the promise: backing a request that the FCC deny Paramount's foreign-ownership petition and leading a coalition letter challenging claims that the Paramount Skydance merger had cleared review. Those actions materially press the FCC/company on foreign ownership protections and preview possible congressional remedies, but the promised outcome is conditional and legislative remedies such as mandatory retroactive review have not yet been enacted or clearly pursued as introduced legislation. The available record therefore shows active effort, not completed delivery.