President-Elect Donald Trump has announced that Commissioner Brendan Carr will become Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission under his second administration. Currently serving as the senior Republican on the FCC, Carr will replace Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.
Carr, who has been with the FCC since 2012, previously served as the agency’s General Counsel and as an advisor to former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. Earlier in his career, Carr specialized in appellate, litigation, and regulatory matters as an attorney and clerked for Judge Dennis Shedd on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Trump nominated Carr to the Commission in 2017. His current term runs through 2029.
Commissioner Carr has been an outspoken Republican voice on the FCC, pushing back on recent partisan actions over Audacy’s restructuring, mandating AI disclosures for political ads in broadcasting, and reinstating the FM Duplication Rule.
In July 2024, House Democrats called for an ethics investigation into Commissioner Carr’s involvement with “Project 2025,” a policy document aimed at shaping future conservative governance. They questioned whether his contributions breached the Hatch Act, which limits political activities by federal employees. Carr stated that he had consulted FCC ethics officials before participating and that his official title was used solely for identification purposes.
President-Elect Trump said in his statement, “Commissioner Carr is a warrior for Free Speech, and has fought against the regulatory Lawfare that has stifled Americans’ Freedoms, and held back our Economy. He will end the regulatory onslaught that has been crippling America’s Job Creators and Innovators, and ensure that the FCC delivers for rural America.”
“Congratulations to Chairman Brendan Carr on a job well done. Lead us into a great future, Brendan!”
Carr responded on X, saying, “Thank you, President Trump! I am humbled and honored to serve as Chairman of the FCC. Now we get to work.”
So what does this mean for broadcasters? Following the election, Radio Ink asked veteran broadcast attorney Frank Montero, Managing Partner at Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth, about a potentially-Carr-led FCC. He told us, “I wouldn’t assume that this is going to be a repeat of Chairman [Ajit] Pai who immediately is going to do a deep dive into the broadcasting rules. In the past, Carr has not shown very much interest in broadcasting and I’m inclined to think that his primary focus is going to be in other areas, such as broadband or wireless communications.”
“He is clearly interested in foreign involvement in domestic media and telecommunications, so this could be of interest to him.”
The full conversation with Montero can be found here.
