FCC considering action on broadcast networks over biased coverage, fake polls
FCC chairman Brendan Carr addresses broadcast network public interest obligations and potential agency guidance on polling on ‘The Sunday Briefing.’ Carr responds to President Donald Trump’s criticism of NBC host Kristen Welker by stating that network broadcasters receive taxpayer-subsidized distribution and must operate in the public interest rather than a partisan interest.
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The Federal Communications Commission could soon issue guidance to broadcast television networks over what FCC Chairman Brendan Carr called “fake polls” ahead of the midterms.
Speaking on “The Sunday Briefing,” Carr argued that broadcast television is subject to different federal requirements than cable channels or online platforms because stations operate under FCC licenses.
“The one thing that President Trump gets, fundamentally, is that broadcast TV is completely different than other forms of distribution, including cable,” Carr said Sunday.
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FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, right, speaks with Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, after attending a Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy presentation in the East Room of the White House on March 20, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“And so many broadcasters right now, they [want to] break the deal that they cut with the American people. They get billions of dollars in taxpayer, effectively, subsidized distribution. And what they’re supposed to do in exchange is operate in the public interest, not some sort of narrow partisan interest,” he added.
His comments come after President Donald Trump criticized NBC News’s Kristen Welker on August 30 over what he said was a mischaracterization of his endorsement record in political primaries. Welker, speaking during a segment on a local NBC affiliate, noted that Trump would “loom large” over the midterms before pointing to his endorsement record.
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“He, of course, has endorsed a slate of candidates in the primaries,” Welker said. “He’s had some mixed results, but most recently, his pick of Senator Darline Graham, of course, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, was successful in her primary battle.”
Then-President-elect Donald Trump speaks with Brendan Carr, whom he had selected to lead the Federal Communications Commission, while attending SpaceX’s sixth Starship test flight on Nov. 19, 2024, in Brownsville, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Trump responded on Truth Social, writing, “Kristen Welker, the Unpopular ‘Hostess’ of the once great Meet the Press, now considered Meet the Fake Press, just stated that Donald Trump has ‘mixed results’ on his Endorsements of Candidates,” before pointing to his endorsement record, including his backing of Sen. Darline Graham.
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“How can anyone be allowed to say this, working for freely given Public Airwaves? Results are attached. Because of this purposeful inaccuracy, she will be reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment,” he added.
NBC News defended Welker in a statement to Fox News Digital, backing its “Meet the Press” moderator following Trump’s threat.
“Kristen is one of the best in the business and we stand by her,” an NBC News spokesperson said.
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Carr said there has been particular interest in reminding broadcasters about their obligations regarding what he called “fake polls,” which he warned could be used to suppress voters heading into the fall midterms.
“I think President Trump is over the target, and we’re looking at a lot of actions. For instance, there’s a lot of interest right now in fake polls that are out there,” Carr said.
“And so the FCC may put guidance out soon to remind broadcasters about their obligations with respect to not airing fake polls, particularly if they’re done to suppress people heading into the fall,” he added.
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FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez publicly rejected the idea of penalizing reporters, posting on X: “As I’ve said many times, the FCC has no authority to punish journalists this administration doesn’t like. These threats to press freedom are dangerous. They undermine the foundation of our democracy, and they have no place in it.”
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Fox News’s CJ Womack contributed to this report.
