GRAPEVINE, Texas — Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr escalated his warnings to broadcasters Friday, saying stations that fail to serve the “public interest” could face consequences up to losing their licenses, even as a major media deal he approved is drawing backlash from allies at the same conference.
During a CPAC interview with America First Legal Foundation General Counsel Julie Strauss Levin, Carr said his approach aligns with President Donald Trump’s broader push to challenge what he calls the “legacy national media.”
“If you want to use America’s airways for free, you’re going to be held accountable now in the public interest,” Carr said. “If you’re a broadcaster and you don’t like the fact that the FCC is going to enforce the public interest obligation again, that’s fine. You can turn your license in.”
The remarks build on Carr’s recent warning that broadcasters airing “news distortions” about the Iran war could face scrutiny during license renewals, a stance that has sparked bipartisan criticism and quiet concern among Republicans worried it could backfire ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Carr signaled a more aggressive FCC willing to enforce the federal “equal time” rule, which requires broadcasters to provide comparable airtime to political candidates. He cited an ongoing probe into whether ABC’s The View improperly claimed a news exemption to sidestep those requirements.
Carr also argued that national media companies such as Disney and Comcast have amassed outsized control over local programming, pushing what he described as a top-down editorial agenda onto local stations. The FCC, he said, is working to “empower” local broadcasters to push back. But the FCC chairman did not address a major controversy tied directly to his agency.
The FCC recently approved the $6.2 billion Nexstar-Tegna merger, a deal that will create the largest operator of local television stations in the country after the agency waived long-standing ownership limits. The decision is now facing legal and political pushback, including from groups aligned with CPAC.
In a newly filed amicus brief, the Conservative Political Action Coalition Foundation’s Center for Regulatory Freedom argued the FCC lacks authority to waive the 39% national ownership cap and failed to properly analyze whether the deal serves the public interest. The brief warns the merger could accelerate consolidation, weaken competition, and reduce viewpoint diversity in local media markets.
“Waiving the ownership rules will only encourage further media consolidation … and limit the public’s access to independent local voices,” the group wrote.
The tension highlights a broader contradiction in Carr’s agenda: an aggressive push to police perceived bias in broadcast media while backing a deal that could concentrate control of hundreds of local stations under a single company.
Carr framed consolidation differently, arguing scale is necessary for broadcasters to compete with streaming platforms and major tech-backed media companies. The chairman made clear the FCC intends to take a far more assertive role in overseeing broadcasters, arguing the agency has not enforced its authority in recent years.
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“For years, the FCC walked away from enforcing the public interest standard,” Carr said. “I don’t think we’re better off as a country for doing that.”
He also pushed back on criticism that the agency’s approach amounts to political retaliation, saying the FCC should not “weaponize” its authority nor should it be dormant.
“The days of just sitting on our hands are over,” Carr said. “We’re going to enforce the law.”
