Media Research Center (MRC) President Brent Bozell took action on Tuesday by submitting a formal petition to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), urging the agency not to expedite billionaire liberal George Soros’ bid to acquire Audacy, the second-largest radio company in the U.S. behind iHeart Media. Soros, through his Soros Fund Management (SFM), has been pushing for FCC approval of assignment applications that would make him the largest shareholder in Audacy, according to MRC.
Acquiring Audacy would give Soros control of 230 U.S. radio stations, including major outlets like New York’s WFAN and 1010 WINS, as well as Los Angeles-based KROQ, as reported by the New York Post. Bozell stated in the filing, “There is no question that George Soros and his affiliated businesses are looking to control these radio stations to advance their particular brand of activism.”
Soros has asked the FCC to waive the requirement under the Communications Act for a “public interest” analysis before approving such an acquisition. MRC’s Vice President for Free Speech America, Dan Schneider, criticized this move, stating, “Right now, the Democrats on the Commission are trying to grease the skids to allow George Soros and his son Alex to buy skads of radio stations all across America … right before the election. I don’t think that’s coincidental.”
Bozell emphasized, “The Communications Act does not contain a special Soros shortcut, and the FCC should not countenance this request for one.” SFM has offered to invest $400 million to acquire 40% of bankrupt Audacy’s shares, but Bozell questioned the legitimacy of this proposal, stating, “The Soros filings fail to demonstrate that in this case any interest in the reasonably efficient emergence from bankruptcy cannot be accommodated while also assessing the foreign ownership interests at the same time.”
According to MRC, Soros has donated over $130 million to other media organizations from 2016 to 2020 to promote his left-wing agenda. He has also supported the International Fact-Checking Network, which coordinates censorship efforts between outlets such as The Washington Post and Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp). Last summer, a fund linked to Soros joined a consortium that paid $350 million for bankrupt Vice Media. Soros also backed the creation of the Latino Media Network in 2022 after acquiring 10 radio stations from TelevisaUnivision, a move seen as a response to Democrats losing support among Latinos. However, this acquisition was criticized in Miami, particularly by Cuban exiles who viewed it as a threat to Radio Mambi, a popular station among the community. Irina Vilariño, co-owner of a chain of Cuban restaurants in South Florida, expressed concerns about the buyout, stating, “We would need to be deaf and blind not to understand the motives behind this buyout,” during a news conference held by a coalition called the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance.