Cantwell Statement on FCC Chair Carr’s Attacks on Free Speech

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, which oversees the Federal Communications Commission, condemned FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's intimidation of the press yesterday, which resulted in the indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show.

"FCC Chairman Brendan Carr does not have the authority to police speech that he or the President don't personally like. Especially when there is a pending merger with the affected parties in front of the FCC," said Sen. Cantwell.

Yesterday, FCC Chairman Carr threatened the FCC broadcast licenses of ABC affiliates if they did not "take action . . . on Kimmel." Later that day, the largest ABC network affiliate group, Nexstar, announced it would be indefinitely preempting Kimmel's show. Shortly thereafter, ABC suspended Kimmel's show indefinitely.

Nexstar has a pending $6.2 billion transaction to purchase the third-largest affiliate group, Tegna. This merger requires FCC approval and would create the largest broadcast ownership group in the country.

###