FCC chair says broadcast networks could violate regulatory obligations by airing 'fake polls'
Carr said broadcasters could face regulatory trouble for airing polls that lack a scientific basis as the FCC steps up scrutiny of election coverage.
- On Wednesday, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr warned broadcast networks that airing "fake polls" may violate federal license obligations, specifically accusing ABC News, NBC News, and CBS News of "engaging in News Distortion."
- Carr claimed there has been a "significant surge" in "Fake Polls" and "Suppression Polls" this election season designed to interfere with voter turnout, amid pressure from President Donald Trump to crack down on broadcasters.
- With President Trump's approval rating at 36%, Carr accused journalists of airing polls "without regard to basic journalistic ethics," noting he previously ordered an unprecedented early license review for eight of Disney's company-owned ABC TV stations in April.
- Federal licenses prohibit broadcasters from "engaging in News Distortion" or "promoting Broadcast Hoaxes," though Carr did not name specific polls he believed were fake in his statement.
- FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, a Democrat, noted last month that violating "distortion rules" requires "a deliberate misrepresentation of something of significant importance," indicating an incorrect poll alone would not meet that threshold.
11 Articles
11 Articles
FCC Chairman Warns Broadcasters That Airing “Fake Polls” Could Run Afoul Of “Regulatory Obligations”
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr warned broadcasters on Wednesday about airing “fake polls” or “suppression polls,” once again threatening regulatory action for news content. Carr has talked previously about the media’s reliance on poll information, as President Donald Trump, who appointed him to the top FCC post, has often dismissed survey results that are unfavorable to […]
Trump FCC tells networks they’re prohibited from reporting 'fake polls'
President Donald Trump's Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman, Brendan Carr, has announced that henceforth no broadcaster is allowed to promote "fake polls" the way he claims they have been over the past few weeks. In a post on X, Carr announced, "Many journalists and broadcasters have b...
FCC head Brendan Carr targets broadcasters for airing false polls
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr warned broadcasters against airing fabricated election polls, saying stations could face regulatory scrutiny if they knowingly mislead viewers through false polling data. The warning follows an admission from Wedgewood Polls that it deliberately fabricated polling numbers in races across the country, raising questions about how news organizations vet political […]
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