Trump’s FCC launches inquiry into gender identity in kids’ TV shows | US television
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is launching a new investigation into the TV ratings system, including whether content about gender identity is adequately flagged for parents, in the latest warning to broadcasters from the agency headed by Trump loyalist Brendan Carr.
The new procedure, announced Wednesday, seeks public comment on the transparency of the TV Oversight Board of Directors, which oversees the ratings system and guidelines. This system was developed following a law passed by Congress in 1996; this law led to the creation of numerous ratings, such as TV-Y for programs deemed appropriate for all children and TV-MA for adult audiences.
Called the “industry voluntary rating system,” it is used by FCC-regulated broadcast networks as well as cable, satellite and streaming services that are not subject to the same rules.
In its public notice of the new investigation, the FCC identified non-binary and transgender issues as an issue of concern. According to the agency’s Media Bureau, “parents have raised concerns that controversial gender identity issues are being introduced or promoted in children’s programming without any disclosure or transparency provided to parents. Specifically, industry guidelines that parents rely on are to rate transgender and gender non-binary programs as appropriate for children and young children, and to do so without providing parents with this information, thereby undermining parents’ ability to make informed choices for their families.”
The statement added: “Consistent with Congress’s vision for the rating system, we seek comment on whether the industry’s approach continues to provide information that is relevant to parents today.” Questions posed to the public include: “Do parents know that gender identity themes are discussed or promoted by children who watch programs rated TV-Y, TV-Y7, and TV-G? Should such programs be rated differently or include relevant disclosures so parents can make informed decisions?”
The agency is also seeking public input on potential disparities in ratings for different platforms, and specifically on whether streaming services “interpret more broadly what is allowed in categories for viewers under TV-Y14.”
The gender-focused investigation, widely seen as part of the administration’s larger efforts to police gender identity, is the latest move by the FCC under Carr to threaten free speech restrictions on broadcasters. In March, Carr threatened “Broadcasters must work in the public interest and if they fail to do so they will lose their licences.” Carr wroteHe repeats comments he made earlier. He also copied Trump’s Truth Social post in which he complained about “misleading” reporting on the war in Iran.
The widely shared threats were condemned by Congressional Democrats as well as Republican senator Ron Johnson, who has voiced support for press freedom: “I don’t like the heavy hand of government, no matter who uses it.”
This wasn’t the first time Carr’s proposed interventions sparked widespread backlash. In September 2025, Carr sparked bipartisan backlash after pressuring television networks and broadcasters to “take action” against ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel for his comments about slain right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said.
Nexstar and Sinclair, the two major carriers of ABC programming, quickly announced plans to cancel Kimmel’s show in advance, forcing ABC to put the program on a temporary hiatus. Following public outcry, ABC decided to bring Kimmel back the following week, and both Nexstar and Sinclair followed suit. Carr later claimed that he never “threatened” the networks.
Public comments on the new FCC investigation into the ratings are due May 22, with responses to comments due a month later.
