Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr escalated his ongoing battle with television broadcasters Saturday, warning stations they could face license revocation while amplifying President Donald Trump’s complaints about Iran war coverage.
In a social media post on X, Carr declared that broadcasters distributing what he termed false information need to change their practices ahead of upcoming license renewal periods. His message included a screenshot from Trump’s earlier Truth Social post that criticized major news organizations including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal for what the president called poor reporting on the conflict involving the United States and Israel against Iran.
“Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not,” Carr stated in his warning.
The FCC maintains authority over television and radio station licensing but does not have regulatory power over publications that operate solely through digital and print platforms, including the newspapers Trump mentioned in his criticism.
This marks an expansion of Carr’s previous complaints, as Saturday represented the first instance where he connected his broadcasting concerns to coverage of military conflicts. The FCC chairman has consistently advocated for stricter enforcement of public interest requirements for stations that utilize public airwaves, claiming the commission has neglected this responsibility for many years.
In his weekend statement, Carr referenced what he described as misleading information during the 2024 election cycle and declared that Americans have become distrustful of news media organizations.
Trump has maintained a pattern of challenging news organizations when they publish content he views as unfavorable, previously advocating for the removal of broadcasting licenses from outlets he considers biased against him.
The administration’s approach toward broadcasters has drawn opposition from Democratic officials and some Republican leaders, though Carr points to polling data showing declining public confidence in media as justification for his position.
