The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is urging broadcasters to air more “patriotic, pro-America” content in honor of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

In a statement issued on Friday, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr described the “Pledge America Campaign” as a way for broadcasters to align themselves with the Salute to America 250 Task Force, the group created by President Trump to oversee the 250th anniversary celebrations at the federal level.

Carr said the country’s broadcasters should use their national reach and ability to inform and entertain audiences by upping programming that “celebrates the American journey and inspires its citizens by highlighting the historic accomplishments of this great nation from our founding through the Trump Administration today.”

Bemoaning the decline of civics education across the country, Carr cited the song-filled, animated kids’ ABC series Schoolhouse Rock! as a classic example of the sort of programming he’d like to see broadcasters do more of. Created in the run-up to the country’s 200th anniversary, Schoolhouse Rock! aired from 1973 to 84. It was revived in the 1990s, as well as, in a direct-to-video format, the 2000s. Archived episodes are still available via streamers such as Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video.

Archival news research conducted by NPR suggests the FCC issued no such pledge for patriotic broadcasting in the run-up to the 1976 bicentennial. NPR has reached out to the FCC for confirmation.

Carr’s suggestions for today’s broadcasters also include starting each day with the “Star Spangled Banner” or the Pledge of Allegiance; introducing segments that highlight “local sites of significance” to national and regional history such as National Park Service locations; and airing works by canonical U.S. composers such as John Philip Sousa, George Gershwin, Duke Ellington and Aaron Copland.

According to the statement, radio and TV organizations are under no obligation to participate in the FCC’s initiative. “Broadcasters can voluntarily choose to indicate their commitment to the Pledge America Campaign,” the agency said.

Various TV and radio organizations have already been working on patriotic, history-focused projects marking the 250th anniversary — well ahead of the “Pledge America Campaign” announcement.

One notable example is Ken Burns’ The American Revolution documentary series for PBS, which premiered in November. One of the largest broadcast media groups, Nexstar Media, which operates more than 200 owned or partner stations in 116 markets, announced offerings related to the anniversary, including “My American Story.” A December press release describes the production as “a year-long cross-platform campaign celebrating the diverse voices and values that define our nation as it approaches the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of the Republic.”

Meanwhile, NPR’s coverage includes the series America in Pursuit, which launched last month and can be heard on member stations around the country. “250 years ago, the Declaration of Independence boldly heralded the birth of the United States of America — a new nation founded on the democratic promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” the online series page states. “NPR’s series America in Pursuit explores what that promise has meant and what it means today.”

In response to a request for comment on the FCC’s announcement, Sinclair Inc., a major network TV group, said it announced in October the launch of “Amazing America 250: From Neighborhood to Nation,” which it billed as a multi-platform celebration of American history, culture, innovation and community spirit. “We honor and celebrate America’s ongoing journey and look forward to continuing to highlight stories that make our great nation unique,” said Sinclair spokesperson Jessica Bellucci in an email to NPR. 

NPR will add responses from other broadcasters as they come in.

Corey Feldman
I’m the Emperor of Caesars Palace …
Crashes Club, Performs ‘Jessie’s Girl’

Published
February 21, 2026
5:07 PM PST

In September of 2020, Dominique Pelicot, a man in his 60s, was caught filming up women’s skirts at a supermarket in southeastern France. Reports of his behavior led to an investigation that unearthed troves of graphic videos of a heavily sedated woman being sexually abused by him and dozens of other men over the span of nearly a decade.

The woman in the video was his wife of nearly 50 years, Gisèle Pelicot. Her story made headlines around the world after Gisèle opted for a public trial — exposing both the breadth of her abuse and the identities of most of the men responsible for it.

Gisèle Pelicot’s memoir, A Hymn to Life, written by Gisèle Pelicot, with journalist and novelist Judith Perrignon, was released on February 17, 2026.

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In December of 2024, Dominique Pelicot was found guilty of all charges and received the maximum sentence of 20 years. The 50 other defendants were also found guilty of rape or other sex crimes. Another 20 or so men seen in the tapes were unidentifiable and remain at large.

Gisèle wrote about this experience in a new book, A Hymn To Life. She spoke with NPR’s Morning Edition host Michel Martin from Paris, France, through an interpreter.

Below are four takeaways from this conversation.

She says she “did not recognize” herself in the images

When French police called Gisèle Pelicot in to notify her of her husband’s abuse, she was confronted with graphic images of events she did not recall because her husband drugged her.

“I did not recognize that woman,” she said. “It was like some rag doll disguised and I didn’t recognize the people. Like, my brain just wouldn’t, couldn’t understand it.”

Gisèle said it took her “a long time” to use the word rape to describe what was done to her.

She says “shame needed to change sides,” when it came to having an open trial

In the lead-up to the trial against her husband and the other defendants, Gisèle Pelicot said she planned to have a closed tribunal.

Yet, “little by little,” she said the decision to make the trial public came to her.

“I said to myself that shame needed to change sides and by having the closed trial, I was giving them a gift,” she said. “All these men, their names wouldn’t have been known and what they did wouldn’t have been known.”

The trial was closely followed by international media and Gisèle was often greeted by scores of supporters who thanked her for her bravery in exposing how she had been harmed — which sparked larger conversations about rape and sex assault across the world.

She was accused of being a willing participant, but video evidence proved otherwise

“I experienced total humiliation. I was considered consenting, complicit, a suspect,” she said of having to defend herself in court and in the public eye.

Unlike many other sexual assault cases, hers was well documented thanks to the video evidence Dominique Pelicot kept for years and used to recruit other men on the dark web.

She still believes in the strength of love

In the midst of grappling with her husband’s abuse, Gisèle met a new man who she writes about in the book, sharing that he was part of her support system throughout the legal proceedings. She concludes A Hymn to Life with her thoughts on the power of love.

“I still need to believe in love. … I even believe that I knew how to give it. I now know that it comes from a deep wound within me that makes me vulnerable. But I accept that fragility, that risk, still. To fight the emptiness I need to love,” she wrote.

She closed our conversation by saying, “I think love can save the world. And I’ve just had the great fortune of being in love again. And I think if you don’t love, you don’t exist. If I don’t love, I don’t exist. And I need to keep on loving.”

For more on Gisèle Pelicot’s case, Morning Edition also spoke to Lisa Fontes, an expert in coercive control and sexual violence. 

Tamara McGinnis provided the interpretation for this interview. 

You can hear the full conversation with Gisèle Pelicot on NPR’s The Sunday Story.