Rupert Murdoch had an incredibly loyal ally in Washington by the name of Preston Padden. Padden served as both Murdoch’s chief lobbyist and organizer for Fox’s affiliated stations during the early 1990s when Murdoch was building his Fox broadcast network. As an executive, Padden played a crucial role in securing the regulatory waivers that allowed Fox to compete with major networks like ABC, CBS, and NBC. He also played a key role in protecting the network from Democratic attempts to strip Murdoch of control over Fox’s largest stations. Padden’s support and efforts laid the foundation for Murdoch’s next venture, the Fox News Channel.
Despite leaving Fox in 1997, Padden and Murdoch maintained their friendship and continued to exchange emails. Padden expressed his admiration for Murdoch’s vision and bravery, referring to the 92-year-old mogul as a “father figure.” However, Padden’s latest project seems paradoxical considering his past. He is now working alongside a nonprofit organization called the Media and Democracy Project (MAD) with the goal of persuading federal regulators to revoke Fox Corp.’s licenses to operate its TV stations. This is ironic because Padden was instrumental in helping Murdoch maintain these licenses nearly 30 years ago.
Last month, Padden joined forces with MAD to urge the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deny Fox’s renewal of its license for Fox 29, one of its largest stations located in Philadelphia. Padden and MAD argue that Fox lacks the required “character” to hold a license due to the spread of post-election misinformation by Fox News, another entity owned by the company. Padden’s statement supporting MAD’s petition accuses Fox of knowingly distorting news and undermining democracy by promoting false narratives about the legitimacy of the 2020 election.
Padden has been vocal about his opposition to Fox, even writing anti-Fox commentaries for the Daily Beast, a publication owned by Barry Diller, co-founder of the Fox broadcast network. In these commentaries, Padden questions whether the FCC should examine Rupert Murdoch’s licenses. Fox Corp. dismissed MAD’s petition as frivolous and without merit, stating that it is an attempt to undermine the First Amendment and longstanding FCC precedent by connecting a cable network’s behavior to a station license. Fox declined to comment further on the petition and Padden’s involvement.
Padden’s motivation for targeting Fox’s license renewal lies in the cable network’s conduct following the 2020 election. Fox News amplified Donald Trump’s baseless claims and repeatedly suggested that Dominion Voting Systems conspired against his re-election. Dominion sued Fox for defamation, and Fox ultimately paid $787.5 million to settle the lawsuit after a judge ruled that the network’s on-air statements about Dominion and the election were false.
Padden himself played a role in the Dominion lawsuit, as his email exchange with Murdoch was disclosed as evidence. These emails indicated that Murdoch was aware of Fox’s dissemination of false information but did little to intervene. Padden urged Murdoch to instruct Fox’s popular hosts to acknowledge Trump’s loss in the election, but no such statement was made on air. The following day, Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.
Padden, a lifelong Republican and former employee of big media companies, including Murdoch’s, holds no personal grudge against Murdoch. However, he believes that Fox has caused significant harm to the country and should be held accountable. He claims that never before in FCC history has an applicant been found guilty of repeatedly presenting false news by a judge. Padden argues that if the FCC’s character standard means anything, falsely presenting news should result in consequences.
For Padden, there is a personal element to his advocacy. He claims that a close family member and a longtime family friend have fallen victim to what critics refer to as “Fox-itis,” a distorted worldview allegedly influenced by Fox’s misrepresentations. Padden declined to disclose the identities of these individuals.
Alongside MAD, Padden’s supporters include political commentator Bill Kristol and Ervin S. Duggan, a former FCC commissioner and president of PBS. Kristol and Duggan have also submitted statements supporting an FCC proceeding against Fox. Kristol argues that Fox should face a public hearing as a civic price for its behavior following the election.
However, it is highly unusual for the FCC to require a hearing or revoke a license based on “character” concerns. According to communications lawyer Andrew Jay Schwartzman, it almost never happens and is a lengthy and complicated process. Schwartzman himself filed a petition against one of Fox’s TV station licenses in 2007, but after a decade of regulatory filings and court appeals, Fox prevailed.
As an experienced Washington insider, Padden understands the political challenges he faces. With Republicans controlling the House and having influence over the FCC’s budget, Fox’s allies have an advantage. Senator Ted Cruz, a staunch defender of Fox and Murdoch, criticized the idea of the FCC holding hearings on Fox 29’s license renewal. Padden has not heard from Murdoch since publicly opposing Fox.
In conclusion, Preston Padden, once a loyal ally of Rupert Murdoch in Washington, has now turned against Fox and is working with a nonprofit organization to convince federal regulators to revoke Fox Corp.’s television station licenses. Padden believes that Fox’s dissemination of false information about the 2020 election undermines democracy and warrants consequences. Despite the political challenges ahead, Padden intends to hold Fox accountable for what he considers a betrayal of the public’s trust.
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