FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez on Friday urged the broadcast industry to take a far more aggressive stance in confronting the Trump administration’s actions against major U.S. networks and stations.
Gomez, the Federal Communications Commission’s sole Democratic member, specifically called on the National Association of Broadcasters to push back against the administration’s multipronged efforts to challenge broadcasters. She highlighted a series of recent moves, including a warning from FCC Chair Brendan Carr that networks could violate their regulatory obligations by airing “entirely fake polls” ahead of the November 3 election.
The commissioner framed the administration’s approach as an escalating threat to independent journalism and the traditional role of licensed broadcasters. She argued that industry leaders should not wait for further regulatory or political pressure before responding, and instead should coordinate a stronger defense of newsrooms and station owners.
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| Brendan Carr |
Reuters reports the request comes amid broader tensions between the administration and major media companies, with the FCC under Carr signaling a willingness to revisit long-standing regulatory interpretations that govern broadcast content and ownership. Gomez has previously described such moves as attempts to intimidate news organizations rather than address genuine violations of the public-interest standard.
Industry reaction to Gomez’s call was not immediately available. The National Association of Broadcasters has historically preferred to engage regulators and lawmakers through lobbying and legal channels rather than public confrontation, a posture Gomez is now explicitly urging the group to reconsider.