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| FCC chair Brendan Carr is using his agency's power in aggressive ways. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images |
FCC chair Brendan Carr didn’t order ABC to suspend Jimmy Kimmel — but his public criticism, paired with pressure from affiliate owners, led to the outcome he wanted.
How Kimmel Ended Up Suspended
ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! was abruptly suspended “indefinitely” this week after the late-night host made controversial remarks about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The timing was notable: just hours earlier, FCC chair Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, suggested on a conservative podcast that local broadcast station owners should push ABC to act. Carr warned that broadcasters not serving the “public interest” could see their licenses reviewed.
Shortly after, two of the country’s largest ABC affiliate operators — Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group — pressed the network to pull Kimmel’s show. Both companies own dozens of local ABC stations and rely on FCC approval for their broader business strategies.
It was not the first time Carr’s public pressure coincided with a corporate outcome. The FCC delayed the Skydance–Paramount merger after Trump sued CBS News over a “60 Minutes” segment, a deal only approved once Paramount settled for $16 million.
Carr’s Expanding Approach
Traditionally, the FCC’s oversight of broadcasters has centered on narrow definitions of “indecency” — like the infamous 2004 Janet Jackson Super Bowl incident, which led to a $550,000 fine for CBS.
But Carr is taking a more expansive view:
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Mergers and ownership caps: By slowing or scrutinizing deals like Skydance–Paramount and Nexstar–Tegna, Carr has shown the FCC can influence corporate strategy.
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Public interest pressure: While broadcast license revocation is almost unheard of, the FCC can still pressure companies through hearings, studies, or implied threats.
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Cultural flashpoints: Carr has also launched probes into DEI practices at Disney and Comcast, aligning with broader political fights.
This approach has drawn sharp criticism. FCC commissioner Anna Gomez, a Biden appointee, said Carr was politicizing the agency:
“This FCC does not have the authority, the ability, or the constitutional right to police content or punish broadcasters for speech the government dislikes.”
Why Affiliates Listen
For affiliates like Nexstar and Sinclair, the stakes are enormous. Nexstar’s planned $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna would put it over the 39% national ownership cap — a hurdle only the FCC can waive or alter.
“They certainly don’t want to be crossways with Carr,” said Al Tompkins, a Syracuse University journalism professor.
That business reality means Carr’s rhetorical pressure — even without formal action — carries weight. As Gigi Sohn, a former Biden FCC nominee, put it:
“Renewal is almost always automatic. But Carr is using his position as a bully pulpit.”
A New Era of FCC Pressure
Legal experts say Carr’s tactics stretch beyond traditional interpretations of FCC authority.
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Freedom of the Press Foundation and other advocacy groups warn that the “public interest” clause has never been intended to censor political content.
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Even if Carr never moves to revoke a license, the threat itself can alter corporate behavior, signaling that the FCC is watching closely.
Rick Edmonds, a media analyst at the Poynter Institute, summed it up:
“It doesn’t really matter what the exact powers are. It’s a kind of signal — and a threat.”
