Sen. Cantwell demands that FCC Chair stop threatening media organizations over content
Monday, September 22, 2025
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| Sen. Maria Cantwell |
U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, which oversees the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), senior member of the Committee, Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee, and all Democratic members of the Committee sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr.
The letter demands that he immediately stop threatening media organizations over content the Trump Administration does not like, in violation of the First Amendment.
The letter follows comments by Carr on a right-wing podcast suggesting that the FCC would take action against ABC and its parent company, Disney, over a monologue by comedian Jimmy Kimmel on his late-night show.
The letter follows comments by Carr on a right-wing podcast suggesting that the FCC would take action against ABC and its parent company, Disney, over a monologue by comedian Jimmy Kimmel on his late-night show.
“We are outraged by your comments yesterday on a podcast suggesting that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) would take action against ABC, its parent company Disney, and its affiliates, over comments made by comedian Jimmy Kimmel on his late-night show,” the Senators wrote.
“It is not simply unacceptable for the FCC Chairman to threaten a media organization because he does not like the content of its programming—it violates the First Amendment that you claim to champion.
"The FCC’s role in overseeing the public airwaves does not give it the power to act as a roving press censor, targeting broadcasters based on their political commentary. But under your leadership, the FCC is being weaponized to do precisely that.”
The senators continued: “Under your leadership, the FCC appears to be discarding Congress’s clear directive in the Communications Act to ensure broadcasters act in the ‘public interest’—and is instead requiring them to act in ‘Trump’s interest.’
"This approach is an anathema to the Constitution. The consequences of your comments were quickly apparent. Hours later, Nexstar—a major owner of ABC affiliates that has a significant merger pending before the FCC—announced that it would take Kimmel off the air. Soon thereafter, Disney announced it was indefinitely suspending his show altogether.
"This is precisely what government censorship looks like.”
“We urge you to immediately stop threatening media organizations due to their programming and return to the FCC’s mission of ensuring all Americans have access to affordable, efficient communication services.”
“We urge you to immediately stop threatening media organizations due to their programming and return to the FCC’s mission of ensuring all Americans have access to affordable, efficient communication services.”
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5 comments:
Thank you! (and where are the voices of other elected officials?)
You are correct! You know that this is not in line with our Constitution - where are all the others who should (as their oaths of office made clear they should) protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies - foreign and domestic???
This is a real issue yes,, but the amount of furor over a comedian being censored over comments at a sitting President, compared to the lack thereof over a political assassination is alarming.
It seems the democrats have a clandestine agenda that does not align with the majority of Americans anymore.
And yet you ignored the exposed lies of the Left over Russiagate, Biden’s dementia, his son’s laptop, billions released in last few weeks to Green Scam Energy, his pardon’s to relatives going back ten years, and on an on and on…
Yes, you’re the Objective Truth Political Party. Two questions, what’s a woman? Can a woman have a penis?
Just askin, to gage my truth luvin audience. And yes, I know I’m a hateful conservative Christian who is married to a Native American, have three homeless people in my house and raised two sisters, now my daughters of drug addicts. So I believe in community and blood, sweat and tears effort over ineffective tax increasing liberal government.
Just like Jesus did. And please forgive me for boasting, but I’m not lying, I don’t do that.
Disney fired him, not Trump.
Sen. Cantwell has this exactly wrong. This is what got Jimmy Kimmel pulled from the air:
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
This was a baldfaced lie from Kimmel slandering a third of the country. It was an especially harmful lie since many refuse to face the reality that Charlie Kirk's assassin was deep into leftist politics and was dating a MtF transgender person. Tyler Robinson texted his lover clearly stating that he murdered Kirk for his politics.
Sen. Cantwell needs to read FCC Rule 47 CFR §73.1217. It prohibits broadcast licensees (TV and radio) from knowingly airing false information about a crime or catastrophe if:
- The licensee knows the information is false,
- It is foreseeable that airing it will cause substantial public harm, and
- The broadcast in fact directly causes that harm.
Kimmel imperiled the broadcast licenses of his ABC affiliates for spreading the worst kind of disinformation. There is no First Amendment right to spread defamatory lies about a crime on the public spectrum.
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