WASHINGTON—Recent proposals by President Donald Trump and FCC chair Brendan Carr to revoke the licenses of TV stations that broadcast “fake news” critical of the administration’s handling of the Iran war have drawn fire from four former Republican FCC officials.
In addition to labelling Carr’s threats to yank broadcast licenses "unconstitutional”, they argued in a public statement that Carr is “unfit for office” and Congress should both investigate his actions and “consider more serious remedies. It is past time to stand up to this intimidation. The future of free speech and the free press in this country are at risk.”
The joint statement, released by the nonprofit group Protect Democracy, was attributed to former FCC Chairs Mark Fowler and Alfred Sikes, former FCC Commissioner Rachelle Chong, and former FCC Chief of Staff Jerald Fritz.
Article continues belowWhile Democrats have been particularly vocal in their opposition to Carr’s assertion that the FCC has the right to investigate stations and take away licenses based on “biased” coverage, the remarks by the Republican former FCC officials highlights how unusual it has been during the last half century for the regulatory agency to get involved in partisan political battles over news coverage.
As previously reported here, here and here, a number of former FCC officials have blasted the agency's attempt to regulate TV news content in public statements and in letters and petitions filed with the regulator.
“While this weekend’s threats by Chair Carr weren’t his first, they represent a notable escalation of attacks against news media, which are especially concerning in an election year,” the statement noted. “In a democracy, the government does not get to decide what is news and how to cover it. Chairman Carr knows better. In 2019, he rejected the idea that the FCC could police speech in the name of the “public interest.” The Constitution as well as the Communications Act forbid it. We filed a formal petition last fall with the FCC explaining why the First Amendment forbids the use of the news distortion policy—or any FCC power for that matter—to correct alleged bias in the news. Chairman Carr has failed to take any action on that petition. Instead he has continued his unconstitutional pattern of threatening to strip broadcast licenses from stations whose news outlets report news in a way he or the President doesn't like.”
“Because Chairman Carr has shown he is uninterested in following the Constitution, Congress should act,” the statement concluded. “Congress should investigate the FCC’s interactions with media companies and legislate to remove or narrow the regulatory powers Carr is abusing—including the oft-cited news distortion policy. The recent oversight hearings held by the Senate Commerce Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee were good starts. But there is much more to be investigated, including the details of how the Chairman’s abusive regulatory coercion has affected media companies seeking to merge. Or, as the Chairman has shown himself to be constitutionally unfit to hold the office, Congress could consider more serious remedies. It is past time to stand up to this intimidation. The future of free speech and the free press in this country are at risk.”
