FCC’s Brendan Carr Steps Into the Arena |
As the three members of the Federal Communications Commission head to the Hill Wednesday for their first joint appearance before the Senate Commerce Committee, all eyes will be on Chairman Brendan Carr.
The energetic agency head blazed a trail of MAGA media policy, reinvigorated the public-interest doctrine, destroyed diversity, equity, and inclusion policies at Fortune 500 companies, and combated foreign influence on America’s communications infrastructure.
His high-profile clashes with major media figures like Jimmy Kimmel and his close alliance with President Donald Trump have made him a hero on the right and a villain on the left.
All this will make for a more interesting hearing than the usual senatorial snoozefest over spectrum allocation.
In an administration with several big personalities, Carr stands out for his no-nonsense competence.
After years of laboring in the agency as a staffer, general counsel, and minority commissioner, Carr came in with a clear sense of how to use the powers of his office—both formal and informal—to move policy.
Carr arrived in the chairman’s suite in January 2025 and immediately reinstated three complaints filed by my law firm, the Center for American Rights, alleging media bias by major networks. He shortly thereafter pried the transcript of former........