FCC Chair Brendan Carr denies Jimmy Kimmel's influence in ABC license review

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr denied that there was any influence of the Jimmy Kimmel matter in its order requiring eight ABC-owned stations to file for early license renewals. The order, which came in April, shortly followed President Donald Trump's call for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel's firing for making a joke about First Lady Melania Trump on his show, which aired on the ABC Network.

"The early renewal order that we directed was based on where we were in the enforcement of the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) case. It came right on the heels of a second document production from Disney that, again, internally at the agency, there were significant concerns raised. Disney will have every opportunity to make its case, but there has been evidence pointing to potentially a systematic policy within Disney to hire, to promote, to compensate based on race in general," he said in an interview on CNBC.

Earlier in the interview, Carr said that the FCC had spent millions on DEI over the years, which was halted when the Trump administration came to power. "We have been working to make sure that the companies we regulate don't engage in invidious forms of DEI discrimination. Meaning, discriminating against people based on their race and gender," he said.

Carr also said that the FCC had issued multiple rounds of subpoenas to Disney, noted that the company had shared documents, and assured the public that Disney would have the chance to make its case. However, he claimed that there was evidence that showed that Disney took part in such "invidious" DEI activities. Democrats have been vocal in their dissatisfaction with the FCC order, but Carr claimed that it was the Biden administration that weaponized the FCC.

"During the Biden years, they teed up potentially a Fox broadcast TV license for the content on Fox News cable," he said. Carr claimed that when Democrats were in power, they influenced cable companies to drop several channels, including Fox News and Newsmax. "The Democrats massively weaponized the FCC. I'm confident that if they get back in, they're gonna massively weaponize it again. I don't think that means we should do the same thing," he said.

Carr was also asked about Stephen Colbert, whose last appearance on the CBS network will air on May 21, as The Late Show will come to an end. The FCC Chairman was asked if that was a "win" for the Trump administration, as Colbert had been an outspoken critic. "I don't know about that," he said. "This was a decision made by prior CBS leadership. I know there has been some confusion about the chronology of when that was made…my understanding was…that show simply wasn't making any money anymore. I think a lot of things have changed with Late Night over the last several years. A lot of people think it's just in their business interest anymore to run that type of stuff."