FCC Threats Against Jimmy Kimmel Echo a Century of Speech Control
From the Fairness Doctrine to Nixon’s “raised eyebrow,” government licensing power has long chilled broadcast speech—proving the First Amendment should apply fully to the airwaves.
From the Fairness Doctrine to Nixon’s “raised eyebrow,” government licensing power has long chilled broadcast speech—proving the First Amendment should apply fully to the airwaves.
History suggests that Republicans will regret letting the FCC police TV programming.
Congress placed the term in the law but chose not to define it, leaving that task for future regulators.
The First Amendment still stands, but the culture that supports it is eroding.
Rand Paul concurs that the threats preceding the comedian's suspension were "absolutely inappropriate" because the agency has "no business weighing in on this."
Vice President J.D. Vance and Sen. Cynthia Lummis are among the latest conservatives to turn their backs on free speech when it comes to their ideological opponents.
What the Trump administration is doing to late-night comedy is clearly jawboning.
"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," the FCC chairman said, threatening to punish broadcasters for airing the comedian's show.
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Rand Paul, who called for "a crackdown on people" who celebrated the assassination, was less careful in distinguishing between private and government action.
As a minority FCC member during the Bush administration, Carr condemned government interference with newsroom decisions.
Chairman Brendan Carr thinks his agency should strive to ensure that news coverage is fair and balanced—a role precluded by the First Amendment.
Now is the perfect time for the FCC to change its precedent to comply with the First Amendment.
Even if the president was joking in both cases, he already has used his powers to punish people whose views offend him.
In a legal filing this week, Trump argued that routine edits to a CBS News interview he did not participate in caused him "confusion and mental anguish."
Disney scaled back DEI policies this year. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr still opened an investigation.
Carr advocates greater control over social media by federal regulators, despite a reputation for supporting free speech.
Brendan Carr has a clear record of threatening to suppress constitutionally protected speech.
Brendan Carr is prepared to block a merger because he doesn't approve of minor CBS editorial decisions.
The company, which says it takes an "apolitical approach" to rating news outlets, faces regulatory threats and a congressional probe because of its perceived bias against conservatives.
"Reining in Big Tech," Brendan Carr says, requires scrapping liability protections and restricting moderation decisions.