Brendan Carr

Carr circulated a proposal to preempt California 'carrier of last resort' rules that AT&T says are slowing its copper network retirement plans. The draft order would override state requirements that conflict with new federal rules designed to speed up copper retirements. A comment and reply period would precede any FCC vote on the proposal.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr told reporters that broadcast networks should exercise due diligence before airing polls that may have been fabricated, though he did not identify any specific broadcasts. Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez criticised the push as an attempt to make TV news self-censor. Carr also said he has made no decision on whether to seek revocation of licences tied to Disney's ABC stations, which are under an early license review and facing a pending court challenge.

The FCC voted to bar testing laboratories and certification bodies from China and other economies that lack a mutual recognition or reciprocal trade agreement with the United States. Carr said the move restores reciprocity to the agency's equipment authorisation programme, and 32 test labs lost their FCC recognition as a result. The measure gives US labs until December 2028 to expand their capacity.

Brendan Carr drew national attention after comments tied to the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel led to a wider public and political backlash. The episode intensified debate over FCC authority, media regulation, and the limits of government pressure on broadcasters.

Brendan Carr became chairman of the Federal Communications Commission when President Donald Trump began his second term. He had already served at the FCC as a commissioner and earlier held senior roles including legal adviser and general counsel.