Overview
- At CPAC, Brendan Carr listed recent "wins," citing PBS and NPR defunding and saying CBS is under new ownership with CNN likely to see new owners soon.
- Commentators said the comments outline a blueprint to intimidate independent media, with MS NOW framing it as an "Orbanization" push that blends state pressure with partisan-aligned control.
- Skydance, owned by David Ellison, bought Paramount in 2025 and installed Bari Weiss in a new editorial post at CBS News, and MS NOW reports Skydance is poised to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, which would place CNN under the same umbrella.
- Carr has questioned the FCC’s independence, told senators the agency is not "formally" independent, and hinted at license scrutiny over equal-time rules, public-service obligations, and coverage of Trump’s war with Iran.
- Pushback has grown, with Rep. Ted Lieu warning Carr he would be sued over "anti-First Amendment" threats, and no broadcast licenses have been revoked in connection with these remarks as legal limits continue to apply.