Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) called on FCC Chair Brendan Carr to resign after he threatened the broadcast license of a small radio station in California.
“So in February, under your leadership, the Federal Communications Commission opened an investigation into a San Francisco radio station over its coverage of a federal immigration raid,” Markey explained during Wednesday’s Senate Commerce Committee hearing. “In a worst-case scenario, the FCC could shut down the station by revoking its license.”
“And the anchor was literally reporting on the information that was released by the mayor, by the local city council member, and a community group,” he continued. “So you’re telling me that reporting on statements from public officials and a community group is grounds for an FCC investigation.”
“Senator, the concern there in the report was that there may have been interference with lawful ICE operations,” Carr claimed.
“The risk that you are, it’s posed here is to you, to the broadcast journalist coverage!” Markey shot back. “That’s what really happened. The news journalists were just covering an important news story. And some conservatives were upset by the coverage. So you use your power as FCC chair to hang a sort of Damocles over a local radio station’s head.”
The senator pointed out that Carr’s actions result in the anchor’s demotion.
“One former journalist at the station said, chilling effect does not begin to describe the neutering of our political coverage,” he noted. “That’s what you wanted. That’s what you got, but it affected stations everywhere.”
Carr responded by talking over the senator until the Republican chair was forced to silence him.
“He is turning the Federal Communications Commission into the Federal Censorship Commission,” Markey said. “It’s a betrayal of the FCC’s mission. You should resign, Mr. Chairman.”
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