Who Is Brendan Carr of the F.C.C.?

Brendan Carr, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, which is the nation’s top watchdog over the broadcast industry, was at the center of a media storm on Sept 17. In an interview on a right-wing podcast, Chairman Carr criticized comments that late night host Jimmy Kimmel had made about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Shortly afterward, ABC decided to pull the Jimmy Kimmel Live show off the air “indefinitely.” Many Democrats immediately criticized the FCC pressure, while President Donald Trump said the suspension of Kimmel’s show was “Great News for America.” Here’s what to know about Chairman Carr. The native of Washington (DC) began his career as a lawyer representing corporate clients, including in the wireless industry, on regulatory matters. In 2012, he joined the FCC as a staff attorney. Since then, he has risen the ranks at the agency and within the Republican Party. He worked with Trump’s first-term pick for the regulator’s chair, Ajit Pai. In mid-2017, Carr was named to a Republican seat on the commission. As a commissioner, he drew attention from Republicans for his vocal criticism of news media outlets for what he called liberal biases.