As the head of the FCC sees it, “2025 was a historic year” for the agency as he expressed pride in “all the wins we were able to achieve for the American people.”
Chairman Brendan Carr highlighted the achievements seen since January at the FCC in a statement released ahead of the federal holiday pause starting on Christmas Eve, thanks to a new executive order from President Trump.
“I want to express my thanks and appreciation to the agency’s talented staff for the great and efficient results that they delivered all year long, but this is just the beginning,” Carr said. “The FCC is firing on all cylinders, and we will build on this momentum to deliver even more wins in 2026.”
He then listed seven pages full of “wins,” as Carr sees them, with “streamlining regulations & modernizing agency operations” among the accomplishments. And, this includes the controversial end of the FCC’s promotion of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives by eliminating the Commission’s DEI advisory group and DEI task force; rescinding the FCC’s equity action plan; and striking DEI from FCC strategic priorities as well as its annual budget and performance plans.
Swipes at “costly Biden-era regulatory overreach” directed toward internet service costs were also given by Carr, who has regularly visited President Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., and is one of the White House’s closest agency heads.
Importantly, “empowering local broadcasters” is a “win” that includes the reintroduction by the Commission of the public interest standard, and action to support and accelerate the nation’s ongoing transition to ATSC 3.0 digital broadcast technology.
Approved Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount CBS is also a “win” for Carr.
“As specified in the FCC’s record, Skydance made written commitments to ensure that the new company’s programming embodies a diversity of viewpoints from across the political and ideological spectrum,” he said one day after controversy erupted with the spiking of a “60 Minutes” report deemed incomplete by Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss. “Skydance also adopted measures that can root out the bias that has undermined trust in the national news media, and committed to enhancing local news and reporting.”
To Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gómez, Weiss’ actions amount to “editorial interference.” In a lengthy statement, she blasted CBS News and Weiss for preventing the airing of a story involving undocumented immigrants deported to El Salvador and alleged abuses at the facilities Venezuelan nations were being held.
“Against the backdrop of increased government pressure, reports that CBS News interfered with the editorial judgment of ’60 Minutes’ are deeply alarming and strike at the heart of press freedom,” Gómez said. “When the FCC withheld approval of Paramount’s transaction to extract sweeping concessions, I warned that allowing the government to wield regulatory leverage in newsroom decision-making would inevitably threaten independent journalism. We are now seeing the real-world consequences of blurring the line between regulatory authority and editorial independence.
A free press cannot function if the government is able to exercise veto power over critical reporting simply by refusing to engage. That is fundamentally incompatible with the First Amendment and the role of journalists in holding those in power to account. These concerns are only heightened when a media company seeking favorable action on future regulatory approvals tempers or delays coverage critical of this Administration, raising serious questions about whether editorial decisions are being influenced by external pressure rather than journalistic judgment. The public has the right to question how CBS will ensure the independence and integrity of its journalism going forward, concerns which are only compounded by the existence of a government-imposed media monitor at CBS, a deeply flawed and unprecedented form of government involvement in editorial affairs. In the days ahead, I hope CBS provides its viewers with a clear accounting of how this decision was made and demonstrates how it will safeguard the independence of its newsroom.”
