Demand Progress

Trump's Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr is holding a vote on Thursday to allow Trump's billionaire friends to gain even greater control over TV news.¹

Carr is calling a vote to rescind a decades-old rule that prevents big corporations from controlling television broadcasts to more than 39% of U.S. households.² Congress established the rule to prevent media monopolies, so only Congress can change the regulation — no matter how much the Trump administration wants to make their own rules and hand greater power over to billionaire MAGA media oligarchs.

American media freedom is on the line. Congress must stop Trump and Carr from illegally taking even further control of the airwaves.

Sign the petition: Block Trump and Carr from defying Congress to hand greater control of the media to right-wing billionaires.

On the upcoming vote, the sole remaining Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez said, "This unlawful effort to hand control of the public airwaves to billionaire buddies of this administration will destroy local newsrooms, silence community reporting, and drive-up costs for the American families who depend on local stations for news and emergency alerts."³

Even Ted Cruz expressed doubts about this FCC vote, saying Carr can't end the cap without an act of Congress.⁴

Trump and Carr have launched attacks against comedians, journalists, and entire news networks for simply making jokes, reporting the news, and telling the truth. Their goal is to stamp out broadcasters that don't report the news the way Trump wants. Congress must stop this unlawful takeover.

Sign the petition: Stop Brendan Carr's illegal MAGA media crusade!

Sources:

1. Politico, "Brendan Carr sets a vote for bigger TV station mergers," July 15, 2026.
2. CNBC, "U.S. agency to vote to end 39% local TV station ownership cap," July 15, 2026.
3. Politico, "Brendan Carr sets a vote for bigger TV station mergers," July 15, 2026.
4. Ibid.