The blackout of C-SPAN on America’s streaming services, notably Alphabet’s YouTube and Disney’s Hulu, has caught the attention of the Federal Communications Commission, a potential warning sign to the mega-media platforms trying to stay clear of the regulator.

For the first time, the agency said that it is aware of and concerned about the blackout of the network that covers Congress without bias and comment, and doesn’t take a dime of taxpayer funding.

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The regulator said it is taking an interest in the situation that has also prompted a powerhouse bipartisan duo of senators to call on streaming services to include C-SPAN in their package of free offerings, just like cable TV does.

“For the tens of millions of Americans who have cut the cord and get their content from streaming services, they should not be cut off from the civic content made available by C-SPAN,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), who with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), recently introduced a resolution to encourage streaming providers to include C-SPAN.

Sen. Chuck Grassley calls on streaming services to include C-SPAN.https://t.co/isyjksXDIx pic.twitter.com/ow4uleXhoN

— Paul Bedard (@SecretsBedard) June 12, 2025

“Our resolution calls for television providers, including streaming services, to make C-SPAN public affairs program available to all Americans in real time on all platforms,” Grassley said in a recent Senate floor speech made to offer the 39-year-old network a happy birthday.

The dispute between C-SPAN and streaming outlets such as YouTube has the potential of costing the network money and eyeballs as more consumers shift from cable TV to streaming services.

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An FCC official told the Washington Post that the agency is “aware of the issue, and we’re looking into it.”

An industry official told Secrets that any FCC and Senate attention to the issue should be enough to prompt streaming platforms to consider offering C-SPAN. It is a warning flag, said the insider, to both Disney and Alphabet that they could be entangled in a regulatory nightmare if they don’t act.