The lone Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez stated that FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's recent threats to revoke broadcast licenses of TV and radio stations over their coverage of President Donald Trump's military campaign against Iran are baseless, lack legal grounding, and amount to intimidation tactics with no real enforcement power.
Gomez urged journalists and broadcasters to ignore these threats and continue independent reporting without fear, emphasizing that they violate the First Amendment and would fail in court.
Carr's warnings followed a social media post from Trump criticizing news coverage of an Iranian attack on a U.S. Air Force base in Saudi Arabia, where reports indicated five refueling aircraft were destroyed or heavily damaged (though Trump downplayed the extent). Carr reminded licensees of their "public interest" obligation and suggested licenses could be canceled at renewal if coverage is deemed unfavorable by the administration.
The FCC regulates only local broadcast stations, not national networks (though major networks like ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, and The CW own licensed local stations). Gomez stressed that these threats aim to create a chilling effect, particularly on stations or parent companies with pending FCC-approved transactions.
She described the moves as part of a broader, years-long pattern by the administration and its allies to discredit independent media, erode public trust in the press while undermining the FCC's own credibility. Despite numerous politically motivated investigations into perceived critics, none have led to actual enforcement actions—following a consistent tactic of threats, harassment, and pressure to force compliance preemptively.
The "public interest" standard for broadcasters remains undefined by the FCC, with stations historically citing news programming as fulfillment. Gomez called for a clear definition last October to eliminate ambiguity in enforcement, but Carr has not acted on it.