FCC Chair Warns Broadcasters On Airing Fake Polls
Authored by Kimberly Hayek via The Epoch Times,
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr warned on Oct. 21 that broadcasters could violate their federal license obligations by airing fabricated polls or polls designed to disrupt elections and manipulate voter behavior.
Carr's statement comes just before the Nov.3 midterm congressional elections.
"During this election season, there has been a significant surge in entirely Fake Polls and Suppression Polls designed to do nothing more than interfere with the regular functioning of the electoral process and alter the normal patterns of voter turnout and enthusiasm," Carr posted on X.
He added that "many journalists and broadcasters have been amplifying or airing these Polls without regard to basic journalistic ethics and without informing the public that those Polls lack a scientific, accurate, or even real basis."
Carr said the commission takes these issues seriously.
"Broadcasters are prohibited by the terms of their federal licenses from engaging in News Distortion or promoting Broadcast Hoaxes. It is important that broadcasters comply with their public interest obligations. After all, the country benefits greatly when Americans can trust and rely on the media to report the news fairly and accurately," he said.
He advised broadcasters "to avoid engaging in News Distortions or running Broadcast Hoaxes by airing Polls that would violate their regulatory obligations." If they believe additional context is needed for polls already covered, he said "they can now take those actions consistent with FCC regulations."
His comments came less than two weeks before the November midterm congressional elections.
Carr did not name specific polls or outlets, but one day prior, a group called Wedgewood Polling said it had fabricated data in an experiment testing media scrutiny of polling.
Wedgewood Polling said in a statement on Oct. 20 that it was developed by people who previously worked in the poll sector and wondered how easy it would be for a fabricated polling firm to gain traction, be taken seriously, and "expose how little scrutinization exists in media and public commentary."
The entity said that its surveys often did not have any real data behind them, but they were nonetheless included in poll averages by The New York Times and some other outlets.
Carr has previously invoked the same public-interest standard when addressing broadcasters' programming.
On March 14, he threatened to strip U.S. broadcasters of their licenses over what he called false reporting on the ongoing war with Iran. "The law is clear," he said. "Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not."
In January, Carr addressed equal-time obligations for late-night and daytime programs.
"For years, legacy TV networks assumed that their late night and daytime talk shows qualify as 'bona fide news' programs - even when motivated by purely partisan political purposes," he stated on X at the time. "Today, the FCC reminded them of their obligation to provide all candidates with equal opportunities."
Carr has also revived complaints involving election coverage and spoken about networks' responsibilities regarding programming that he said did not serve the public interest.
In January 2025, he reinstated complaints against stations affiliated with major broadcasters over their coverage of the prior presidential election.
He has stated that licensed broadcasters operate under different rules than other media because they use public airwaves.
"They have a license granted by us, the FCC, that comes with an obligation to operate in the public interest," Carr said at the time.
The FCC's authority over news content is limited. The agency states that news distortion enforcement requires deliberate distortion of a factual report, not expressions of opinion or errors from mistakes.
Zachary Stieber contributed to this report
Tyler Durden Thu, 10/22/2026 - 10:15
Continue reading...
[ H/T ZeroHedge ]
Authored by Kimberly Hayek via The Epoch Times,
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr warned on Oct. 21 that broadcasters could violate their federal license obligations by airing fabricated polls or polls designed to disrupt elections and manipulate voter behavior.
Carr's statement comes just before the Nov.3 midterm congressional elections.
"During this election season, there has been a significant surge in entirely Fake Polls and Suppression Polls designed to do nothing more than interfere with the regular functioning of the electoral process and alter the normal patterns of voter turnout and enthusiasm," Carr posted on X.
He added that "many journalists and broadcasters have been amplifying or airing these Polls without regard to basic journalistic ethics and without informing the public that those Polls lack a scientific, accurate, or even real basis."
Carr said the commission takes these issues seriously.
"Broadcasters are prohibited by the terms of their federal licenses from engaging in News Distortion or promoting Broadcast Hoaxes. It is important that broadcasters comply with their public interest obligations. After all, the country benefits greatly when Americans can trust and rely on the media to report the news fairly and accurately," he said.
He advised broadcasters "to avoid engaging in News Distortions or running Broadcast Hoaxes by airing Polls that would violate their regulatory obligations." If they believe additional context is needed for polls already covered, he said "they can now take those actions consistent with FCC regulations."
His comments came less than two weeks before the November midterm congressional elections.
Carr did not name specific polls or outlets, but one day prior, a group called Wedgewood Polling said it had fabricated data in an experiment testing media scrutiny of polling.
Wedgewood Polling said in a statement on Oct. 20 that it was developed by people who previously worked in the poll sector and wondered how easy it would be for a fabricated polling firm to gain traction, be taken seriously, and "expose how little scrutinization exists in media and public commentary."
The entity said that its surveys often did not have any real data behind them, but they were nonetheless included in poll averages by The New York Times and some other outlets.
Carr's Enforcement Approach
Carr has previously invoked the same public-interest standard when addressing broadcasters' programming.
On March 14, he threatened to strip U.S. broadcasters of their licenses over what he called false reporting on the ongoing war with Iran. "The law is clear," he said. "Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not."
In January, Carr addressed equal-time obligations for late-night and daytime programs.
"For years, legacy TV networks assumed that their late night and daytime talk shows qualify as 'bona fide news' programs - even when motivated by purely partisan political purposes," he stated on X at the time. "Today, the FCC reminded them of their obligation to provide all candidates with equal opportunities."
Actions on Broadcast Content
Carr has also revived complaints involving election coverage and spoken about networks' responsibilities regarding programming that he said did not serve the public interest.
In January 2025, he reinstated complaints against stations affiliated with major broadcasters over their coverage of the prior presidential election.
He has stated that licensed broadcasters operate under different rules than other media because they use public airwaves.
"They have a license granted by us, the FCC, that comes with an obligation to operate in the public interest," Carr said at the time.
The FCC's authority over news content is limited. The agency states that news distortion enforcement requires deliberate distortion of a factual report, not expressions of opinion or errors from mistakes.
Zachary Stieber contributed to this report
Tyler Durden Thu, 10/22/2026 - 10:15
Continue reading...
[ H/T ZeroHedge ]
