So, like, the Federal Communications Commission had this big open meeting this week. They were talking about stuff like satellite broadband, licensing for some spectrum thing, and rules to stop robocalls. The usual boring stuff, ya know? The commissioners were talking, voting on stuff, and the chair, Brendan Carr, was doing his thing. He’s a Trump guy, so you can imagine how that went down. Business as usual, right? But then, oh boy, the press started asking questions. They were all nice and polite, but they were grilling Carr about some shady moves he’s been making. Like, investigating news channels because Trump doesn’t like what they say. Seriously?
So, Carr decided to look into how CBS edited an interview with Kamala Harris. Trump got all riled up and said CBS should lose their license. He even threw shade at other networks, calling them corrupt. Carr, being the good little lapdog, decided to reopen the case after Trump made him chair in January. He even said he’s considering giving CBS the “death penalty” of losing their broadcast license. Like, chill out dude! He’s also eyeing NBC and other networks for covering a story about an immigrant wrongly deported. Carr’s excuse is that since these networks use public airwaves, they gotta cater to the public interest. Whatever that means.
But here’s the thing: Carr is basically doing Trump’s bidding. He’s using the FCC to censor the media and punish anyone who goes against the government. Anna Gomez, the only Democrat left on the commission, is not having it. She’s calling out the administration for trying to control the news and silence dissent. Even Grover Norquist, a far-right dude, thinks Carr is going too far. He and other conservatives sent Carr a letter, begging him to drop the case before it gets out of hand. But nope, Carr is on a power trip.
It’s not just Democrats who are worried. Even Republicans are raising eyebrows at Carr’s antics. He’s going after news outlets, threatening to sanction them for not towing the Trump line. And get this, Carr is also poking his nose into Disney’s diversity efforts. Like, who does he think he is? The FCC’s powers are already weaker than ever, but Carr is still throwing his weight around. He’s not making formal rulings or imposing fines, but his intimidation tactics are working. Companies are scared to defy him, fearing repercussions down the line.
The CBS case is a prime example of Carr’s overreach. Trump went after CBS, hoping to strong-arm them into submission. And it worked. CBS’s parent company, Paramount, is trying to merge with another media giant, so they caved to the pressure. The head of “60 Minutes” even stepped down because of the increased oversight. It’s a mess, and Carr is right in the middle of it.
In the end, Carr’s power trip is a threat to free speech and journalism. Former FCC commissioners are speaking out against him, but many are too scared to rock the boat. Carr may not be making formal decisions, but his bullying tactics are effective. Who knows what he’ll do next? The only thing we can do is keep shining a light on his abuses of power. Let’s hope someone puts a stop to him before it’s too late.
