FCC Chair Defends Agency Amid Broadcast Probes

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr told Politico’s Dasha Burns on *The Conversation* podcast that he does not view the FCC as a “speech police” entity. He framed the agency’s ongoing investigations of major broadcast networks—NBC, ABC, and CBS—as the proper application of laws enacted by Congress, not a partisan effort to curb media criticism of President Donald Trump.

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The FCC’s recent enforcement actions and license reviews have drawn heightened scrutiny. ABC filed a formal complaint alleging “attempted censorship” by the commission. Critics across the political spectrum argue that the agency’s probes could transform it into a political weapon against broadcasters perceived as hostile to the president. Carr noted a decline in public trust in the news, citing a poll that found only 8 percent of respondents say they have a great deal of trust in the media.

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Carr also suggested the FCC has, in recent decades, “backed away from its responsibilities,” implying a need to re-assert regulatory enforcement.

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Broadcasters and lawmakers have condemned the FCC’s actions as potentially politicized. The ABC complaint characterizes the commission’s approach as an “attempted censorship” of network content. Observers from both parties warn that such investigations risk eroding the agency’s independence and could set a precedent for using regulatory power to silence dissenting media voices.

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• “I don’t view the FCC as the speech police,” — Brendan Carr, communications commission chair

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