Trump’s FCC Chair Defends Pressure Campaign on Media Corporations: ‘Time for a Change’

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr defended controversial provisions imposed on the recently approved Skydance-Paramount merger during a Friday morning appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box, calling them “a change whose time has come.” His comments came amid growing concern over the regulatory role the FCC is playing in shaping the editorial direction of media companies.

Anchor David Faber pressed Carr about criticism from fellow FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, who described the measures as “never-before-seen controls over newsroom decisions and editorial judgment,” as well as direct violation of the First Amendment.

“You’re imposing never-before-seen controls over newsroom decisions and editorial judgment in direct violation of the First Amendment,” Faber quoted Gomez, before asking Carr to respond.

“I think it’s time for a change,” Carr said. “And the procedures that we put in place in this deal have lots of precedent. For instance, there have been ombudsmen put in place by the FCC before. We’re putting a biased ombudsman in place here. We’re addressing DEI.”

Gomez is an FCC Commissioner who blasted her organization’s heavy hand in a dissenting Thursday statement:

After months of cowardly capitulation to this Administration, Paramount finally got what it wanted. Unfortunately, it is the American public who will ultimately pay the price for its actions.

In an unprecedented move, this once-independent FCC used its vast power to pressure Paramount to broker a private legal settlement and further erode press freedom. Once again, this agency is undermining legitimate efforts to combat discrimination and expand opportunity by overstepping its authority and intervening in employment matters reserved for other government entities with proper jurisdiction on these issues. Even more alarming, it is now imposing never-before-seen controls over newsroom decisions and editorial judgment, in direct violation of the First Amendment and the law.

After the FCC buried the outcome of backroom negotiations with other regulated entities, like Verizon and T-Mobile, I urged for us to bring the Paramount proceeding into the light. I’ve long believed the public has a right to know how Paramount’s capitulation evidences an erosion of our First Amendment protections, and I’m pleased that FCC leadership ultimately agreed to my call for every Commissioner to vote on this transaction. Granting approval behind closed doors, under the cover of bureaucratic process, would have been an inappropriate way to shield this Administration’s coordinated campaign to censor speech, control narratives, and silence dissent.

Despite this regrettable outcome, this Administration is not done with its assault on the First Amendment. In fact, it may only be beginning. The Paramount payout and this reckless approval have emboldened those who believe the government can—and should— abuse its power to extract financial and ideological concessions, demand favored treatment, and secure positive media coverage. It is a dark chapter in a long and growing record of abuse that threatens press freedom in this country. But such violations endure only when institutions choose capitulation over courage. It is time for companies, journalists, and citizens alike to stand up and speak out, because unchecked and unquestioned power has no rightful place in America.

For all these reasons, I dissent.

Carr pointed to what he described as a reversal of the “pro-DEI commitments” previously encouraged under the Biden administration, saying, “We’re unwinding that type of approach. And we’re frankly taking a trust but verify perspective here.”

The FCC’s approval of Skydance’s merger with Paramount included what some critics have called editorial guardrails, or provisions aimed at ensuring ideological balance in newsroom management, including the appointment of a third-party ombudsman to monitor editorial decisions and eliminate what Carr and others have described as systemic bias.

“I think this could go a long way to restoring America’s trust in media,” Carr continued. “And again, the media itself, I think, has undermined itself over these last couple of years.”

Carr cited late-night television as an example, saying, “When you look at the stuff that Colbert is doing, the idea that a partisan carnival makes economic sense—these are business decisions at the end of the day.”

The deal, approved earlier this week, gives David Ellison’s Skydance control of the iconic Paramount Global brand, in a transaction that reportedly included behind-the-scenes discussions with the Trump administration. While the White House has denied direct involvement, the deal has drawn scrutiny for what critics see as a pattern of political influence on media ownership and content regulation.

Carr framed the shift as part of a broader media reckoning.

“I think it goes back to President Trump,” Carr said. “Because this facade of gatekeeper legitimacy that was conferred on these outlets is going away, and we’re just seeing a lot of dominoes fall as a result of that.”

The remarks have already sparked concern from press freedom groups, who say the FCC’s role should be limited to technical and ownership considerations — not editorial oversight. Carr, a Trump appointee and long-time critic of what he sees as liberal media bias, dismissed such concerns as outdated.

“This is a change that reflects where the American public already is,” he said.

The deal is expected to close by the end of the year, pending final shareholder approvals.

Watch above via CNBC.