FCC chairman Brendan Carr wrote on X Saturday that broadcasters need to “correct course” or risk losing their broadcasting licenses, citing Donald Trump’s recent displeasure with the mainstream media’s coverage of the Iran War.
“Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions – also known as the fake news – have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up,” Carr wrote. “The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not.”
Carr linked to a Truth Social post from Trump, in which the president condemned “intentionally misleading headlines” about U.S. tanker planes that were targeted in Saudi Arabia. Trump claimed the planes were not “’struck’ or ‘destroyed’” and that four of the five planes involved in the attack were “already back in service.” Trump went on to call out “lowlife ‘papers’” like the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, who “want us to lose the War.”
Important to note that the FCC chairman has no authority over papers like the WSJ or NYT. However, Carr, who has been outspoken about quieting unfavorable TV coverage of the Trump administration, seems to be sending out the warning flare to broadcasters in a preemptive attempt to wrangle their reporting.
Carr has yet to come down on any major news organizations during his tenure under Trump. Instead, his biggest impact has been in the talk show and late-night TV space. In February, the FFC chairman appeared on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” and confirmed that the commission had begun enforcement proceedings of what he claimed were violations of the equal time rule involving political candidates by ABC’s “The View.”
“The days that these legacy media broadcasters get to decide what we can say, what we can think, who we can vote for are over,” Carr said during his appearance. “I think President Trump played a key role in just smashing the facade that they still get to decide the narrative here.”
Since they are akin to news programming, talk shows have long been exempt from the equal time rule, which requires equal coverage of both sides of the political spectrum. But Carr has publicly stated that he plans to change that. “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” is the latest victim of the shift. In February, Colbert said his home network, CBS, refused to air his interview with Texas state Rep. James Talarico, in fear that the FCC may come knocking and cite equal time violations.
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