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Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr is at the center of a growing storm over media freedom after ABC indefinitely suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! in response to the comedian’s remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
President Donald Trump, who elevated Carr to lead the FCC last year and praised him as a “warrior for free speech,” cheered the move as “Great News for America.” But critics say Carr’s aggressive tactics amount to political interference in the broadcasting industry.
Carr’s unprecedented influence
Carr, 46, has built a reputation as one of Trump’s fiercest defenders. Since taking the helm, he has launched investigations into ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR and PBS, often accusing them of liberal bias. He has also pressured media corporations by tying FCC approvals for mergers to their handling of political content.
“This is unprecedented,” said Craig Aaron, co-CEO of Free Press, a nonprofit watchdog group. “Many have wanted to bend the FCC’s power to intimidate the media, but Carr has gone further than anyone else.”
Carr has also inserted himself into conservative policymaking circles, penning a chapter for the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 outlining a more combative FCC role.
The Kimmel flashpoint
On Monday, Kimmel criticized Republicans for politicizing Kirk’s killing, sparking outrage from conservatives. Carr called the remarks “the sickest conduct possible” and suggested the FCC could revoke broadcast licenses from ABC affiliates if the network failed to act.
Within 24 hours, Nexstar — which owns dozens of ABC stations and is pursuing a $6.2 billion merger requiring FCC approval — announced it would stop airing Kimmel’s show. Hours later, ABC suspended the program “indefinitely.”
“This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney,” Carr warned on conservative commentator Benny Johnson’s podcast. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
Broader media crackdown
Carr’s office is also reviewing CBS over a 60 Minutes interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, NBCUniversal over diversity programs, and Disney over alleged “DEI discrimination.” Last month, CBS parent Paramount settled a lawsuit with Trump and won FCC approval for an $8 billion sale to Skydance after pledging to scale back DEI initiatives.
Carr hailed CBS’s decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as another sign of changing times.
Former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler warned Carr’s approach amounts to “incredible coercive power” without triggering formal legal challenges. “He’s telling companies what to do without forcing an FCC vote that could be appealed in court,” Wheeler said.
Free speech debate
Critics — from comedians like Marc Maron to free speech groups like the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression — say the Kimmel suspension and broader FCC actions threaten political speech. ABC has not confirmed whether Kimmel will return.
For Carr, the controversy marks his highest-profile move yet. “President Trump is now stacking up the wins with more to come,” Carr wrote recently on X. “It is time for a change.”
