FCC chair threatens to revoke broadcasters' licenses over Iran war coverage
The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission has threatened to revoke the broadcasting license of networks that do not 'operate in the public interest' in an X post on Saturday.
In the tweet, Brendan Carr reposted a Truth Social Post from President Donald Trump that slammed the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal for reporting that Iran had struck five US refueling planes at a military base in Saudi Arabia.
Trump wrote that the planes were not 'struck' or 'destroyed,' and that 'four of the five had virtually no damage, and are already back in service. One had slightly more damage, but will be in the air shortly. None were destroyed.'
'Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions - also known as the fake news - have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up,' Carr's post on Saturday began.
'The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not,' the chairman continued.
Carr then wrote that it is in the legacy media's own interest to 'change course,' because trust for the networks has fallen to 'an all time low of just 9 percent and are ratings disasters.'
The FCC chairman did not cite where he got that figure from, though a Gallup poll conducted in October found that just 28 percent of Americans expressed a 'great deal' or 'fair amount' of trust in mass media.
The poll also found that the number was even lower among Republicans, with just eight percent of GOP members trusting the media, which is closer to Carr's number.
Brendan Carr, the chairman of the FCC, threatened to revoke the broadcast license of networks that do not 'operate in the public interest' in an X post on Saturday
Carr reposted a Truth Social post by President Trump that accused the Wall Street Journal and New York Times of falsely reporting that tanker planes in Saudi Arabia had been struck by Iran
The FCC chairman juxtaposed that lack of trust for legacy media with Trump's decisive victory in the 2024 election.
He wrote: 'When a political candidate is able to win a landslide election victory after [sic] in the face of hoaxes and distortions, there is something very wrong.
'It means the public has lost faith and confidence in the media. And we can’t allow that to happen. Time for change!'
Carr also said that Americans have 'subsidized' legacy media because the outlets are allowed to access the nation's airwaves for free.
The FCC chairman added that 'It is very important to bring trust back into media, which has earned itself the label of fake news.'
In another Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump thanked Carr for looking into revoking the broadcasting licenses of 'Corrupt and Highly Unpatriotic “News” Organizations.'
He also echoed the FCC chairman's statement that Americans have subsidized the networks, because 'They get Billions of Dollars of FREE American Airwaves.'
The networks use those 'free' airwaves 'to perpetuate LIES, both in News and almost all of their Shows,' the president wrote.
In that same Truth Social post, Trump once again railed against the Wall Street Journal for reporting that the refueling planes had been struck.
Carr said that trust in legacy media has fallen tremendously and that despite negative coverage, Trump decisively won the 2024 presidential election
Carr has threatened to revoke broadcasting licenses before, but this X post on Saturday was the most recent case of him doing so
He also threatened that outlets reporting false information about the Iran conflict 'should be brought up on Charges for TREASON.'
Since his appointment as Chair of the FCC at the start of Trump's second term, Carr has regularly floated the idea of seizing broadcasting licenses from networks because of their broadcasting decisions.
The idea is easier said than done, however, as revoking licenses is extremely difficult under US law and the government is prohibited from using regulation to censor outlets.
Still, Carr has seen some temporary success in his efforts. In a controversial moment last year, Jimmy Kimmel Live! was briefly taken off the air following comments the host made about the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Democratic congressmembers were quick to condemn the FCC chairman's comments on Saturday.
Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote on X: 'It’s illegal for the government to censor free speech it just doesn’t like about Trump’s Iran war. This threat is straight out of the authoritarian playbook.'
Trump has praised Carr for looking into revoking the licenses of broadcast networks
Carr had brief success in his attempts to revoke broadcasting licenses last year when Jimmy Kimmel Live! was temporarily taken off the air for comments the host made regarding the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk
Senator Mark Kelly said: 'When our nation is at war it is critical that the press is free to report without government interference. It is literally in the Constitution.
'This is overreach by the FCC because this Administration doesn’t like the microscope and doesn’t want to be held accountable.'
The Daily Mail has reached out to the New York Times and Wall Street Journal for comment regarding Trump's claims that the outlets reported false information about tanker planes being struck by Iran.
