Trump’s FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has stated that he is ready and willing to take action against major media companies, including potentially pulling broadcast licenses, if they are deemed to be “out of line” with the “public interest”. This is a pretty significant shift from previous FCC chairs, who, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal, were often reluctant to take such strong measures.
Carr, who has been with the agency since 2017, seems to have embraced President Donald Trump’s approach to the media. He made it clear to the Wall Street Journal that the FCC is “fully aligned” with Trump’s agenda. According to Carr, broadcast licenses are “not sacred cows,” which is a pretty bold statement given the historical context. The last time the FCC actually revoked a broadcast license was all the way back in 1971, when a Mississippi station was found to be defending segregation.
Carr, however, seems to have no issue with doing the same today without the same reasoning. This signals a much more aggressive stance than we’ve seen in decades. He believes that Trump “smashed a facade that they’re the gatekeepers of truth,” and that the media is suffering from a “credibility crisis”. This comes from the same side that lied about Trump being an FBI informant and that fired a department head for being honest about numbers.
The FCC will make sure you only see pro-Trump news, because that’s not what a dictator does
This new approach has already led to some pretty direct actions. Carr has launched two separate probes into Comcast, the parent company of NBCUniversal, following accusations of bias from Trump. One of these investigations is looking into Comcast’s diversity policies, while another is examining its relationship with its stations and affiliates.
The goal is to see if its programming decisions “best reflect the needs and interests of their communities”. This is all being justified by a 1934 law that states broadcasters must operate in the “public interest, convenience, and necessity” because they are granted exclusive use of airwaves.
To be fair, this has sparked some serious concerns from critics. Robert Corn-Revere, chief counsel of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), argues that Carr is politicizing the FCC’s work and violating its responsibility to protect free speech. He said, “this appears to be part of a political campaign against what the chairman perceives to be enemies of the president.” It’s a pretty compelling argument, especially when you look at the timing and the explicit alignment with a political agenda.
Published: Sep 10, 2025 10:15 am