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Trump’s FCC goon demands talk shows give Republicans equal time
After years of President Donald Trump being the butt of jokes from late-night
comedians, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr released an
official public notice arguing that late-night comedy shows and daytime talk
shows must provide equal time for conservatives.
The Trump appointee’s directive, released on Thursday, argues that late-night
talk shows have been used for “partisan purposes” and are thus no longer exempt
from previous FCC guidance that found entertainment programs did not have to
provide “equal opportunities” for a rebuttal to their content during candidate
interviews.
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The precedent was set in 2006, when “The Tonight Show,” then hosted by Jay
Leno, ran an interview with Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger but was not
required to provide equal time to the Democratic candidate.
The Trump administration’s attempt to control the content of talk shows
follows years of Trump melting down after hosts mocked him. Hosts like Stephen
Colbert, Seth Meyers, and Jimmy Kimmel, have been the target of Trump’s ire.
His administration has even whined about daytime talk shows and their hosts,
like Whoopi Goldberg on “The View.”
It was Carr who led the charge back in September to pressure ABC and its
affiliates to censor Kimmel and “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” That attempt at
suppression backfired and roused public support for Kimmel, who triumphantly
returned to the air.
Anna Gomez, the only remaining FCC commissioner appointed by a Democratic
president, released a statement excoriating Carr.
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“For decades, the Commission has recognized that bona fide news interviews,
late-night programs, and daytime news shows are entitled to editorial
discretion based on newsworthiness, not political favoritism. That principle
has not been repealed, revised, or voted on by the Commission,” Gomez said.
“[Carr’s] announcement therefore does not change the law, but it does
represent an escalation in this FCC’s ongoing campaign to censor and control
speech,” she continued. “Broadcast stations have a constitutional right to
carry newsworthy content, even when that content is critical of those in power.”
Carr’s notice is the latest front in the administration’s crusade against the
free speech rights guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Previously, the Trump administration has used the power of the federal
government to go after small businesses expressing dissent, major media
companies, and journalists.
Because Trump can’t handle being the subject of a punchline—like his
predecessors in both parties have tolerated—late-night comedians are back in
the crosshairs.
Click here to check out this story on DailyKos.com.
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