Commissioners Starks, Simington Exit The FCC This Week

Two FCC commissioners announced their resignations on Wednesday, providing President Donald Trump with two additional vacancies to fill on the five-member U.S. telecom regulator. 

Republican Nathan Simington, confirmed in December 2020 after leading efforts to regulate social media during Trump’s first term, plans to step down this week despite being eligible to serve until year-end. Democratic Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, whose term extended to 2028, also intends to resign this week.

The Senate has yet to vote on Olivia Trusty’s nomination to join the FCC, potentially leaving the agency with just one Republican and one Democratic commissioner temporarily. FCC turnover is typical during presidential transitions.

Starks, Simington

The resignations coincide with Trump’s push for Republican FCC Chair Brendan Carr to revoke CBS’s broadcast licenses following a $20 billion lawsuit against CBS News for its editing of a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris in October 2024. Trump has also dismissed Democratic commissioners from other independent agencies, such as the Federal Trade Commission.

Carr rejected CBS’s request to dismiss the complaint alleging the Harris interview violated FCC “news distortion” rules. CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, is awaiting FCC approval for an $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media, with no set timeline for a decision. In April, “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens resigned, citing concerns over editorial independence.

Carr has reinstated complaints against the “60 Minutes” interview, as well as ABC News’s moderation of a pre-election debate between Joe Biden and Trump, and NBC for Harris’s “Saturday Night Live” appearance close to the election. Additionally, Carr pressured Verizon to scale back its diversity, equity, and inclusion program before the FCC approved its $20 billion acquisition of Frontier Communications.

In a statement, Carr thanked Starks and Simington for their public service. He also outlined the agency’s continued efforts to identify and eliminate regulations that are “effectively dead wood,” including cable television rate regulations.

FCC turnover refers to the departure and replacement of commissioners at the FCC, a U.S. government agency that regulates communications, including radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable. 

The FCC has five commissioners, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, with staggered five-year terms. No more than three commissioners can be from the same political party, ensuring a bipartisan balance.

Turnover often occurs during presidential transitions, as commissioners may resign to align with the incoming administration’s priorities or be replaced if their terms end. For example, a new president may nominate commissioners who share their policy goals, such as deregulation or specific approaches to media and telecom issues. Resignations can also happen for personal or political reasons, as seen with the recent departures of Nathan Simington and Geoffrey Starks, creating vacancies for President Trump to fill.

This turnover is common because the FCC’s decisions on issues like net neutrality, media ownership, or mergers (e.g., Paramount-Skydance) reflect the administration’s agenda, prompting shifts in leadership to influence the agency’s direction. Historically, such changes can temporarily disrupt the FCC’s balance, as seen when vacancies leave it with fewer commissioners, potentially affecting decision-making until new appointees are confirmed.