Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen is calling on the Federal Communications Commission to investigate Arizona PBS (KAET) for alleged viewpoint discrimination that he claims improperly influenced the state’s 2022 governor’s race.
In a letter to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, Petersen cited newly released internal emails from Arizona State University, which operates KAET, alleging the station violated rules, contracts, and long-standing traditions to favor Democrat Katie Hobbs over Republican Kari Lake. The records, obtained after more than two years, include messages between top university officials discussing Hobbs’ electoral prospects and Lake’s stance on election integrity.
During the race, Hobbs refused to debate Lake and was instead granted what Petersen called an “unprecedented 30-minute interview” on Arizona PBS. Lake’s scheduled solo interview with the station was canceled the same day it was set to air after the Arizona Citizens Clean Election Commission withdrew from the event, citing PBS’s separate arrangement with Hobbs.
Petersen compared the situation to FCC reviews of alleged media bias in recent national political coverage, including ABC News’ moderation of the 2024 presidential debate and CBS News’ decision to withhold a 60 Minutes interview with then–Vice President Kamala Harris, and urged the agency to revoke KAET’s license, accusing the station of partisan favoritism intended to benefit Hobbs.
