Donald Trump’s Federal Communications Commission is taking aim at broadcast outlets for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, with Comcast, the parent company of NBC and Universal, being the first target.
In a letter sent to Comcast CEO Brian Roberts on Tuesday, FCC Chair Brendan Carr said that the agency is investigating the company’s DEI practices.
“The FCC will be taking fresh action to ensure that every entity the FCC regulates complies with the civil rights protections enshrined in the Communications Act … including by shutting down any programs that promote invidious forms of DEI discrimination,” the letter states, according to Reuters, which obtained a copy.
Comcast confirmed they received the letter and would cooperate with the FCC’s investigation, issuing a statement saying that “for decades, our company has been built on a foundation of integrity and respect for all of our employees and customers.”
Carr said the FCC was starting out with Comcast because of “substantial evidence that your companies are still engaging in the promotion of DEI,” noting that the company has cable, high-speed internet, broadcast TV stations, and wireless divisions covered by the agency.
Democratic FCC commissioner Anna Gomez said Carr’s investigation went against the FCC’s actual purpose.
“Stoking partisan culture wars is not the FCC’s job. It is time we return to our core mission – closing the digital divide, fostering innovation, and protecting consumers,” she said.
That’s not likely to happen under the Trump administration. The FCC has already turned its sights on media outlets for reasons besides DEI—last week, Carr announced an investigation into San Francisco radio station KCBS for its coverage of immigration enforcement.
This followed an announcement from Carr that the FCC was investigating NPR and PBS for allegedly “violating federal law by airing commercials.” And don’t forget the FCC’s battle with CBS over a Kamala Harris interview that Trump falsely claimed was edited.
It seems that aside from regulating America’s communications and broadcasts, the Trump administration will be using the FCC as a political tool to go after media that he doesn’t like, or that goes against the right wing, blatantly violating the Constitution’s First Amendment right to a free press.
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