This all has to do with the sale of Spanish-language radio station WSUA-AM in Miami.
Congressional Democrats are attempting to pressure the FCC to reject the sale. Carr says it’s all about politics.
Democrat Representatives say the FCC must block this change in ownership to prevent what they view as a progressive broadcast station from beginning to air conservative viewpoints to Miami’s Hispanic community. Former Representative Debbie Mucarsel-Powell added that “To win in 2022 this must stop!” in reference to the Newsweek story.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said the attempt by Democrats in Congress to pressure the FCC into blocking the sale of the station based on the political viewpoints that it would broadcast to South Florida’s Hispanic community crosses a line drawn by the First Amendment. “The FCC has no business doing the Democrats’ bidding or using our regulatory process to censor political opinions that Democrats do not like. What’s worse, the Democrats appear to be treating the FCC as merely an arm of the DNC— expressly pressuring the agency to take action that they believe will increase their electoral odds in Florida in 2022. “This is a deeply troubling transgression of free speech and the FCC’s status as an independent agency. I call on my FCC colleagues to join me in publicly rejecting this attempt to inject partisan politics into our licensing process. Doing so would go a long way in assuring the public that the FCC will review this proposed transaction free from political pressure and according to our long-standing rules and precedents.”
This seems to be a fake story. Carr makes like Congressional Democrats are pressuring the FCC, and the only name he gives is a FORMER member. So which is it? If he’s going to say Congressional Democrats are pressuring the FCC, he should be specific. Who is it?
Otherwise, it’s a made up story. If a former member is complaining, that’s her free speech. She has a right to say whatever she wants. It’s also different from saying there’s actual political pressure from within Congress. I’ve seen a lot of versions of this story, but one with a quote from an actual member of Congress. He seems to be putting out this story to rile up his base. But all it does is politicize a simple license transfer. That’s the wrong place for a regulatory agency to be. Especially at a time when the FCC is has no deciding vote.