FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has reaffirmed his commitment to the agency's news distortion policy, despite criticism from a bipartisan group of former FCC leaders and commissioners. In response to their petition, which called for the repeal of the 1960s-era policy, Carr wrote "How about no" in an X post, indicating that he will not scrap the policy on his watch.
The policy has been at the center of controversy in recent months, with Chairman Carr threatening to revoke broadcast licenses from ABC affiliates that air biased programs. In a move seen as targeting President Biden's allies, Carr revived complaints against CBS stations and Fox, which had previously been dismissed under previous FCC chairs.
Carr's position on news distortion has drawn criticism from both sides of the aisle, including Democrats like Senator Richard Blumenthal, who accused him of being overly defensive. Republican lawmakers, such as Senator Ted Cruz, have also voiced their opposition to the policy, with Cruz scheduling an FCC oversight hearing where Carr will testify on December 17.
The former FCC leaders and commissioners behind the petition argue that the news distortion policy is no longer justifiable under today's First Amendment doctrine and is overly vague. They claim that the policy chills broadcaster speech and can be exploited for partisan purposes, and that it is unnecessary given the separate rule against broadcast hoaxes.
Carr has pushed back on these criticisms, saying that he will continue to hold broadcasters accountable to their public interest obligations. He also accused his critics of censoring conservatives, suggesting that they are hypocritical in their opposition to the policy.
The issue highlights a deepening divide between the FCC and its critics over the role of government regulation in the media landscape. As the agency continues to grapple with the challenges of regulating broadcast news, it remains to be seen how Carr will navigate this complex issue and whether his position on news distortion will change under pressure from lawmakers and advocacy groups.
The policy has been at the center of controversy in recent months, with Chairman Carr threatening to revoke broadcast licenses from ABC affiliates that air biased programs. In a move seen as targeting President Biden's allies, Carr revived complaints against CBS stations and Fox, which had previously been dismissed under previous FCC chairs.
Carr's position on news distortion has drawn criticism from both sides of the aisle, including Democrats like Senator Richard Blumenthal, who accused him of being overly defensive. Republican lawmakers, such as Senator Ted Cruz, have also voiced their opposition to the policy, with Cruz scheduling an FCC oversight hearing where Carr will testify on December 17.
The former FCC leaders and commissioners behind the petition argue that the news distortion policy is no longer justifiable under today's First Amendment doctrine and is overly vague. They claim that the policy chills broadcaster speech and can be exploited for partisan purposes, and that it is unnecessary given the separate rule against broadcast hoaxes.
Carr has pushed back on these criticisms, saying that he will continue to hold broadcasters accountable to their public interest obligations. He also accused his critics of censoring conservatives, suggesting that they are hypocritical in their opposition to the policy.
The issue highlights a deepening divide between the FCC and its critics over the role of government regulation in the media landscape. As the agency continues to grapple with the challenges of regulating broadcast news, it remains to be seen how Carr will navigate this complex issue and whether his position on news distortion will change under pressure from lawmakers and advocacy groups.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is like SO not gonna budge on this news distortion policy lol what's next? him revoking licenses of all the liberal stations rn i mean i get that he wants to hold broadcasters accountable but come on, it sounds like he's just trying 2 stifle conservative voices 
and senator Blumenthal is lowkey right, carr is being super defensive about this whole thing 
meanwhile cruz is like the real MVP for calling out the hypocrisy 
anyway, can't wait 2 c what happens next on dec 17 
so like carr's all set on not changing the policy right? i get why people are mad tho... 
and it's crazy how some ppl are accusing others of being hypocrites 
meanwhile, carr's just like "no" to repeal 
that's pretty much it 
- I think Brendan Carr is being super cautious with this policy thingy... News distortion? Really? Sounds like a slippery slope to me 
can't believe this is still a thing... like, come on FCC just do your job and let us watch unbiased news 
not sure what's more concerning is that Carr is using this as a way to target certain political allies 
meanwhile, I'm all for holding broadcasters accountable but you can't just revoke licenses over one show 
and honestly, it's kinda scaring me that we're having to have this conversation in 2025 
. And can you believe Carr thinks he's being super brave for sticking to his guns on this issue? I'd say "how about yes" and be done with it, lol! All joking aside though, it is kinda concerning that news distortion policy is still a thing and people are actually upset about it... maybe we need some more diversity in the FCC? 
! Like, can't we just have some free speech 
. And can we please stop cussing out each other over it? 
Let's try to have a civil conversation about this instead of getting all riled up 
is it worth paying more for a good camera or can you still take decent pics with a cheaper one?
.
. But at the same time, I can see where Carr is coming from too 
. He wants to make sure that broadcasters are held accountable for not serving the public interest 
.
Is he protecting the Biden admin's interests or just playing it safe? That "How about no" post was straight up dismissive - what's the real reason for his stance on news distortion? 
And those former FCC leaders and commissioners, they must have been getting paid to file that petition. Mark my words, there's more to this story than meets the eye... 
. It's a slippery slope, folks