How an AM radio station in California weathered the Trump administration’s assault on media

Before Jimmy Kimmel faced regulatory pressure, a local radio station found itself in the federal government’s crosshairs.

Just six days into President Donald Trump’s new administration, San Francisco Bay-area radio station KCBS-AM reported that immigration agents were operating in the region, driving “unmarked vehicles including a black Dodge Durango, a gray Nissan Maxima and white Nissan truck.”

The brief news item, also covered by other media outlets, quickly triggered outrage from conservative influencers who claimed KCBS endangered agents’ lives. As complaints flooded in from listeners, the Trump administration’s top broadcast regulator, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, accused the station of failing to operate in the public interest and announced an investigation.

This marked an expansion of the Republican administration’s offensive against perceived media opponents beyond major networks like ABC, CBS and NPR. According to eight current and former KCBS employees who spoke on condition of anonymity fearing reprisal, the station took significant steps to avoid further scrutiny from conservative critics and the FCC.

KCBS demoted a respected anchor and reduced political programming, the sources revealed. For several months, reporters were discouraged from pursuing politically sensitive or controversial topics, instead being steered toward human interest stories. When political coverage was permitted, the tone received intense scrutiny.

Doug Sovern, a veteran political journalist at the station who retired in April, described being sidelined after Carr announced his investigation. “‘Chilling effect’ does not begin to describe the neutering of our political coverage,” said Sovern, who noted his retirement was unrelated to the controversy.

The regulatory pressure appears to have eased in recent months, with KCBS gradually returning to more politically sensitive coverage. In October, the station assigned a reporter to cover the No Kings Day protests against the Trump administration, which staff described as a welcome shift.

KCBS declined to comment on personnel matters, stating: “There has been no change in policy or editorial direction at KCBS. We remain committed to providing our Bay Area listeners with trusted news, including our political coverage, that is balanced and objective.”

Carr has emerged as a key enforcer of Trump’s agenda in his second term, particularly targeting media outlets – one of the president’s favorite adversaries. His September warning to ABC that “we can do this the easy way or the hard way” led Disney to temporarily pull Jimmy Kimmel off the air over statements about the political reaction to conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death.

ABC and CBS settled what experts considered long-shot libel lawsuits by Trump while their parent companies had significant regulatory matters before the FCC. Public broadcasting outlets like NPR and PBS affiliates faced scrutiny over possible commercial advertising violations. When the FCC later approved a merger involving CBS’ parent company, the network’s new owners pledged “significant changes” – a move Carr praised.

Al Sikes, a Republican former FCC chairman who served under President George H.W. Bush, characterized Carr’s approach as using “mobster” tactics. “What we’re seeing right now is new boundaries that are being set on the exercise of authority: punishing those that you don’t like and ensconcing those that you do,” Sikes said.

KCBS has a distinguished history as one of the earliest licensed radio stations. It pioneered the 24-hour news format during its nearly 70 years under CBS ownership before being sold to Entercom (now Audacy) in 2017. The station remains a CBS News Radio affiliate.

The radio industry has struggled amid digital disruption. Audacy recently emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, saved by a major investment from a George Soros-owned firm – an investment approved by the FCC under the previous Democratic administration. Carr had criticized the agency’s handling of that deal.

In investigating KCBS, Carr issued a letter of inquiry – the first formal step in an FCC probe. The agency regulates broadcasters and can issue warnings, fines, and in extreme cases, revoke broadcast licenses.

After Carr’s threat, Audacy hired attorneys who summoned staff involved in the immigration story to meetings, examining employee social media posts and questioning potential political bias. KCBS News Director Jennifer Seelig reportedly told staff that business considerations required avoiding FCC conflicts.

Bret Burkhart, who read the immigration report on air, was demoted from anchor to reporter and later left the station. Colleagues found the discipline puzzling since the agents weren’t undercover and the information came from local politicians.

Mark Feldstein, a journalism professor at the University of Maryland and former CNN and ABC correspondent, defended the reporting: “The description of immigration agents in unmarked cars is newsworthy, particularly since Trump’s administration has a history of sending in federal agents while disguising what agencies they’re with.”

Sovern, who worked for The New York Times and The Associated Press before his 35-year KCBS career, described struggling to get stories approved. He said Seelig asked him to cancel an interview with California gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter, fearing she would criticize Trump.

“I’m disappointed that a news organization once renowned for its diligent pursuit of the truth backed away from its core mission out of fear and economic insecurity,” Sovern said. “That’s not the KCBS I knew.”