Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), recently threatened to revoke broadcasters’ licenses following President Donald Trump’s criticism of their coverage of the US–Israel war on Iran. This is a significant move, hinting at a potential crackdown on what Carr labelled “hoaxes” and “news distortions.”
According to the BBC, Carr made it clear that broadcast licenses are not some kind of “property right” you just automatically keep. He emphasized that these licenses can absolutely be taken away if stations aren’t serving the public interest. “People have gotten used to the idea that, you know, licences are some sort of property right, and there’s nothing you can do that can result in losing their licence,” Carr stated.
