FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks has announced his intention to resign from his position this spring. In a letter to President Donald Trump and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Commissioner formally confirmed his decision.
In a statement, Starks said, “Serving the American people as a Commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission has been the honor of my life. With my extraordinary fellow Commissioners and the incredible career staff at the agency, we have worked hard to connect all Americans, promote innovation, protect consumers, and ensure national security.”
Appointed to the FCC in 2019 during President Trump’s first term, Starks has been an advocate for the AM for Every Vehicle Act, emphasizing the importance of AM radio in vehicles and the FCC’s role in advancing the legislation. Starks was also a leading voice in recent rulemaking actions centered around authorizing FM geo-targeting.
His impending departure, coupled with the earlier exit of former Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, could hand the FCC’s current Republican leadership an early majority as they await action around the nomination of Olivia Trusty to give the party its full three seats.
“I have learned so much from my time in this position, particularly when I have heard directly from Americans on the issues that matter to them,” Starks added. “I have been inspired by the passion, engagement, and commitment I have seen from colleagues, advocates, and industry.”
Starks intends to remain active in the coming weeks, working alongside Brendan Carr, who was recently designated as FCC Chairman, to continue the agency’s mission. Following Starks’ resignation, Commissioner Anna Gomez will be the FCC’s ranking Democrat.
By law, the FCC maintains a five-member structure, with no more than three Commissioners belonging to the same political party. This means that while Trump has the ability to nominate a successor for Starks, the seat must be filled by someone outside the GOP.
This could give more power to Chairman Carr’s recently launched “Delete, Delete, Delete” campaign, a comprehensive effort aimed at eliminating regulations deemed outdated or burdensome. This initiative could hold major policy changes for radio broadcasters – including deregulation around station ownership caps.
Everyone should be concerned.