Newly appointed FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is promising a level playing field as the agency launches an investigation into CBS, part of a broader effort to address alleged bias in broadcast media. In an exclusive interview with Policyband published today, Carr vowed that CBS will receive “a fair shake” under his leadership, a stance he casts as a deliberate break from what he describes as the Biden administration’s “weaponization” of government agencies against political foes. The comments come as Carr restores and expands probes into major broadcasters, reigniting debates over the FCC’s role in policing content.
Carr’s pledge follows his decision to reinstate complaints against CBS, ABC, and NBC that were dismissed in the final week of his predecessor Jessica Rosenworcel’s tenure in December 2024. Rosenworcel, a Biden appointee, had tossed out four petitions—three targeting alleged distortions in 2024 election coverage by CBS, ABC, and NBC, and a fourth against Fox News tied to a separate issue. Carr reversed the dismissals for the first three, noting they’d never even reached public comment, while leaving Fox’s case closed since it had already been vetted. “With the CBS one, we’ve now put that one out for public comment,” Carr told Policyband, emphasizing transparency. “What I can guarantee everybody is that they’re going to get a fair shake from this FCC.”
The CBS investigation stems from a complaint by the Center for American Rights, a conservative nonprofit, alleging the network’s 60 Minutes selectively edited an October 2024 interview with Vice President Kamala Harris to favor Democrats—a charge CBS has denied. Carr’s move to solicit public input marks a procedural shift, but it’s his broader narrative that’s raising eyebrows. He accused the Biden-era FCC of doling out “special treatment” to allies like George Soros—whose 2024 purchase of Audacy radio stations sailed through approvals—while targeting figures like Elon Musk with investigations and an $800 million contract revocation. “If your last name was Musk, the government was weaponized against you,” Carr said. “If it was Soros, you got streamlined shortcuts.”
Carr frames his approach as a return to impartiality, a dig at critics who cheered Rosenworcel’s Fox probe but now balk at scrutiny of liberal-leaning outlets. “It’s odd to have people pushing hard for the FCC to revoke Fox’s license and then have issues with applying the exact same precedent even-handedly,” he quipped. The chairman’s rhetoric aligns with President Trump’s media critiques, though Carr insists his goal is fairness, not retribution. “We’re coming out of an era of massive weaponization,” he added. “People politically allied got special treatment; those perceived as unaligned got disfavored treatment.”
You can find the full interview on the Policyband website HERE.
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