Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), is this week’s lightning rod. His comments regarding Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show were met with considerable outrage. During the usual press conference held after the FCC’s monthly meeting, Carr let loose. He then went on to blame Democrats and the media for misinterpreting his scathing comments on Kimmel. Importantly, he noted that his intent was obvious with the entire context of his comments available. He thought this resulting firestorm was the result of twisting and projecting from his political enemies.
On September 17, ABC told the news it would “indefinitely” pre-empt “Jimmy Kimmel Live! Carr was furious with this ruling. He described it as a “troubling sign of corporate capitulation” that would “threaten First Amendment principles.” Until recently, his comments have resulted in little serious criticism or pushback, but that has begun to change, especially by Democrats.
Carr’s remarks gained further attention when he appeared on a conservative podcast, where he seemed to suggest that network affiliates should reconsider airing Kimmel’s show due to the comedian’s comments regarding Charlie Kirk’s death. As he put it, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” This demonstrated he intended for broadcasters to act as judge, jury, and executioner in dealing with Kimmel.
In reaction to Carr’s public comments, Anna M. Gomez, another FCC commissioner, pushed back against him — publicly — in an unusual act of defiance during a recent commission meeting. Gomez has been outspoken in her criticism of Carr’s leadership, though she’s avoided the kind of personal attacks leveled at Carr. She claimed that the FCC just threatened to go after ABC. With this flimsy justification, they invoked a late-night comedian’s joke as justification to clamp down on speech that offended them.
The unannounced public meeting quickly turned chaotic as protesters chanted, “Fire Carr, the censorship czar!” Their heckling caused security to immediately escort them from the arena. Calls for Carr’s resignation underscore the outrage his statements provoked on all sides. They illustrate the polarized political climate that’s become inextricably linked to questions about media regulation.
During the press conference, Carr was adamant in advocacy for his position. He focused in particularly on local broadcasters with his comments, which he said were critical to fight the impact of networks located in New York and Hollywood. His outlook couldn’t be more different from the tone deaf criticism he has faced from Democrats and many of his fellow Republicans.
Ted Cruz, perhaps the only more prominent Republican senator to embrace a technocratic agenda, called some of Carr’s remarks “dangerous as hell.” He sounded existential alarms about government intrusion into media content. This contradiction was not lost on many advocacy groups, including those that protect press freedom as their core mission.
“Government can’t control media content.” – Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders
Even given all the pushback, Carr is still doggedly refusing in a newly published press release to admit, no, he’s been mischaracterized on this. He implored you to read the full context of what he said. He’s adamant that the complete context of the interview should be considered when judging his comments.