The chair of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, has warned that US broadcasters could lose their licences if they fail to operate in the public interest.
Carr made the remarks after Donald Trump criticised media coverage of the US–Israel war involving Iran.
Speaking to the press, Carr said broadcast licences are not a permanent right.
He stressed that the FCC has the authority to revoke licences if stations do not meet their obligations to serve the public interest.
He also accused some broadcasters of spreading “news distortions” and suggested they could still “correct course” before their licence renewals.
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Several Democratic leaders criticised the remarks, arguing they could threaten press freedom.
Elizabeth Warren said it would be illegal for the government to censor media coverage simply because it disagrees with it.
Gavin Newsom described the warning as “flagrantly unconstitutional”.
Mark Kelly also said the comments represented government overreach.
The FCC regulates US broadcast airwaves, including television and radio.
The agency issues licences to individual broadcast stations for eight-year periods, but it does not licence national TV networks such as CBS, NBC, ABC or Fox Broadcasting Company.
According to the commission’s own guidelines, the First Amendment and the Communications Act prohibit the FCC from censoring broadcast content.
The FCC’s authority over programming is limited primarily to broadcast television and radio, and does not extend to cable networks or streaming services.
