FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has reinstated complaints against CBS, ABC, and NBC, accusing them of bias against former President Trump. This action reverses a previous decision from outgoing Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, who dismissed the complaints citing First Amendment protections. The new decisions were issued based on a need for further investigation into alleged violations of news distortion rules and the Equal Time rule. Commissioner Anna Gomez criticized Carr's actions, warning against using licensing power to suppress press freedom, emphasizing the importance of a free press in democracy.
"As I stated last week, we cannot allow our licensing authority to be weaponized to curtail freedom of the press. The First Amendment is a pillar of American democracy."
"We find that the previous order was issued prematurely based on an insufficient investigatory record for the station-specific conduct at issue, therefore this complaint requires further consideration."
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