FCC Chairman Brendan Carr Monday pushed back against accusations of government censorship in the recent suspension of ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live!, attributing the network's decision squarely to declining viewership rather than regulatory pressure.
In a statement to the New York Post, Carr dismissed claims that his agency's threats influenced Disney/ABC, saying, "It’s because of his ratings," and emphasizing that broadcasters act in their commercial self-interest. This comes amid widespread criticism from Democrats, media experts, and free speech advocates who argue Carr's actions set a dangerous precedent for politicized oversight of broadcast content.
Critics, however, see a pattern. Since taking office, Carr has launched probes into major networks for "bias," threatened to block mergers over diversity initiatives, and pressured public media funding cuts—moves former FCC Chair Tom Wheeler called "micromanagement" and "coercive power" without formal votes. Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez called the Kimmel case a "dangerous precedent" for self-censorship, warning it blurs the line between regulation and retaliation. House Democrats, led by Rep. Adam Schiff, demanded an investigation into Carr for "weaponizing" the agency.
Carr, a Trump loyalist appointed FCC chair in January 2025, has positioned himself as a "warrior for free speech" against perceived liberal media bias. In his latest comments, he rejected censorship allegations outright, arguing the suspension was a market-driven response to Kimmel's sagging ratings.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! has lost viewership amid cord-cutting and competition from streaming.
On Fox News' Hannity, he defended the FCC's role in enforcing "public interest" obligations, which he claims have been neglected for years.