By Fcc Chair Brendan

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NYT News ServiceFCC Chairman Brendan Carr whose pressure tactics led to Jimmy Kimmel suspension sparking GOP division over free speech concerns and government regulation of broadcast television content (Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times)

Several prominent Republicans expressed concerns about Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr’s role in pressuring ABC to suspend late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. The lawmakers warned against government overreach in regulating broadcast speech following Kimmel’s comments about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.”We all should be very cautious,” said Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.). “The conservative position is free speech is free speech, and we better be very careful about any lines we cross in diminishing free speech.”ABC suspended Kimmel indefinitely Wednesday, September 17, after Carr warned Disney, ABC’s parent company, that there could be consequences if Kimmel remained on the air. The suspension followed Kimmel’s Monday monologue comments about Charlie Kirk’s killing.Also read: ‘Great News for America’ | Trump mocks Jimmy Kimmel as ‘zero talent’; praise ABC for axe, do it NBC!House Republicans split on FCC Chairman Carr’s broadcast pressure tacticsHouse Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), whose committee oversees the FCC, raised concerns about government influence over broadcast content. Guthrie’s committee maintains direct oversight responsibilities for FCC operations and broadcast regulation.Live Events”Just because I don’t agree with what someone says, we need to be very careful,” Guthrie said Thursday. “We have to be extremely cautious to try to use government to influence what people say.”However, the concerned Republicans were outnumbered by more than a dozen GOP lawmakers who supported Carr’s actions. House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) characterized the Kimmel suspension as a market-driven business decision rather than government coercion.”This is a total market decision,” Jordan told POLITICO.Trump dismisses government role in Kimmel suspension decisionPresident Donald Trump downplayed government involvement in the Kimmel suspension during a London press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Trump attributed the suspension to ratings and content concerns rather than regulatory pressure.”Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings more than anything else,” Trump said. “And he said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk. And Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person. He had very bad ratings, and they should have fired him a long time ago.”A White House official confirmed that Trump played no role in either Carr’s warning or ABC’s suspension decision. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) supported similar interpretations of the suspension as a business decision.Also read: Here’s what Jimmy Kimmel said about Charlie Kirk that got him fired from ABC showFCC Chairman Carr threatened broadcast stations over Charlie Kirk commentsCarr’s intervention followed Kimmel’s Monday monologue, where the host said Republicans were mischaracterizing Charlie Kirk’s killer’s background for political purposes. Kimmel also compared Trump’s reaction to Kirk’s assassination to a 4-year-old mourning a goldfish.Carr responded Wednesday on a conservative podcast, telling broadcasters “we can do this the easy way or the hard way” regarding Kimmel’s comments. Within hours, two major conservative-leaning broadcast ownership groups removed Kimmel from their stations, both of which had pending business before the FCC.”Broadcasters have long retained the right to not air national programs that they believe are inconsistent with the public interest, including their local communities’ values,” Carr wrote on X. “I am glad to see that many broadcasters are responding to their viewers as intended.”Democrats demand accountability for FCC Chairman Carr’s actionsDemocratic leaders strongly criticized Carr’s role in the Kimmel suspension, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries promising to use subpoena power if Democrats regain control after the midterm elections. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also condemned the FCC chairman’s actions.Eleven Senate Democrats sent Carr a letter Thursday demanding answers about the episode by September 25. “This is precisely what government censorship looks like,” the senators wrote.The Republican and Democratic leaders of the House Oversight Committee announced they are working together to secure Carr’s testimony regarding his role in the Kimmel suspension decision.Also read: Jon Stewart takes over The Daily Show tonight amid Kimmel suspensionModerate Republicans question FCC precedent for future administrationsSen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) expressed concerns about the precedent Carr’s actions might set for future Democratic administrations. When asked whether the approach could prove problematic if Democrats regain power, Murkowski responded affirmatively.The split within the GOP reflects broader tensions over free speech principles and government regulation of broadcast content. Many Republicans have previously taken strong free-speech positions on other cultural and political issues, creating internal party conflicts over the Kimmel suspension.Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now!
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