The head of the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Brendan Carr, renewed his criticism and threats against broadcasters on Saturday over their content and 'fake news,' threatening to revoke their licenses if they fail to serve the public interest. This time, he leveraged criticism from US President Donald Trump regarding coverage of the war with Iran. In a post on the social media platform X, Carr stated that broadcast stations spreading 'fake news' must 'correct their course before their license renewal date,' attaching an image of a tweet Trump had posted earlier that day on Truth Social. In his own post, Trump accused The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and other newspapers and media outlets of providing 'extremely poor coverage' of the war he said the US and Israel are waging against Iran. Carr wrote: 'Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, or they will lose their licenses.' The 'Public Interest' Obligation The FCC grants licenses to television and radio broadcasters, but it does not grant licenses to television or radio networks or other entities affiliated with those stations unless they hold the license themselves. The commission also does not regulate media whose distribution is limited to the internet or print, such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Carr has repeatedly stated that he seeks to impose a 'public interest' obligation on broadcasters using public airwaves, which he believes the FCC has failed to adequately enforce for decades. In his post, he wrote about 'deception and distortion' during the 2024 presidential campaign, noting that 'the public has lost trust and faith in the media.' By including Trump's post, Carr, for the first time, expanded the scope of his criticism to include media coverage during wartime. Trump frequently accuses news media of 'lying' when they publish reports he considers critical of him and has previously called for revoking the licenses of broadcast stations he deems unfair.
