Big media executives had high hopes that a second Trump administration would mean less regulation. However, President Trump's appointed communications regulator, Brendan Carr, has instead tightened the regulatory grip, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Since his appointment as Chairman of the FCC nearly three months ago, Carr has broadly applied the agency's regulatory powers. On Wednesday, he linked merger approvals to adherence to the administration's policies against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
“I would encourage any business that wants the FCC to approve a deal to end any invidious forms of DEI discrimination with all deliberate speed,” Carr stated.
Comcast responded by reaffirming its commitment to integrity and respect for all employees and customers, while cooperating with the FCC’s inquiries.
Since taking the helm in November and becoming Chairman last month, Carr has also launched probes into National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), questioning whether their underwriting announcements breach noncommercial broadcasting rules. Both NPR and PBS have defended their compliance with federal regulations.
The FCC traditionally oversees a range of issues from mobile signals to children's TV content, with the power to impose fines and influence major media and telecom mergers.
Paramount Global, CBS's parent company, now faces a more stringent regulatory environment than anticipated. Last year, Carr indicated that a complaint about CBS's "60 Minutes" interview with Kamala Harris might affect Paramount's merger with Skydance Media. Following this, Paramount executives have been exploring strategies to ease regulatory hurdles, including potentially settling a lawsuit Trump filed against CBS over the segment.
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