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Edited by: Fern Sidman
In a sharp rebuke aimed at ABC News and its parent company, Disney, incoming Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr has accused the network of contributing to the “erosion in public trust” of mainstream media. According to a report that appeared on Tuesday on the Newsmax website, Carr, a Trump-appointed FCC commissioner, will assume the chairmanship next month and has already signaled a firm stance on media accountability and transparency.
In a letter addressed to Disney CEO Bob Iger, Carr expressed deep concerns about ABC’s editorial practices and its impact on public trust in national news outlets. Quoting from his letter, Newsmax highlighted Carr’s opening remarks:”Dear Mr. Iger, Americans no longer trust the national news media to report fully, accurately, and fairly. ABC’s own conduct has certainly contributed to this erosion in public trust.”
Carr’s letter references ABC News’ recent settlement agreement, which included a $15 million payment to President Donald Trump’s future presidential library and museum and an additional $1 million in attorney fees. As the Newsmax report explained, the settlement stemmed from a defamation lawsuit over comments made by ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos.
According to the information provided in the Newsmax report, the lawsuit, filed on March 19 in U.S. District Court in Southern Florida, accused Stephanopoulos of making defamatory statements with malice and disregard for the truth. Specifically, the anchor incorrectly claimed on air that Trump had been found civilly liable for “rape” in the defamation case brought against him by writer E. Jean Carroll.
Carr’s letter, as was reported by Newsmax, speaks volumes about the gravity of the situation:
“The fact that a massive trust divide has emerged between local news outlets and national programmers like ABC only increases the importance of retransmission consent revenues remaining available for local broadcast TV stations to invest in their local news operations and content that serves their communities.”
This comment reflects Carr’s broader concern about how national broadcasters such as ABC manage relationships with local affiliates and whether retransmission fees are being used effectively to serve community interests.
As the Newsmax report detailed, the FCC oversees television station licenses and the retransmission consent process. The latter requires cable distributors to compensate local TV stations for retransmitting their signals. Historically, license renewals have rarely been contested, let alone denied. However, Carr’s comments suggest a willingness to scrutinize this process more closely under his leadership.
Carr emphasized the importance of local news in his letter, noting that trust in local broadcasters remains significantly higher than trust in national networks such as ABC. According to Newsmax, Carr wrote: “Local broadcast TV stations are essential in informing their communities, and retransmission consent revenues must support their ability to meet their federal obligations.”
In his closing remarks, Carr made it clear that he would be “monitoring the outcome” of the ongoing ABC retransmission negotiations. As the Newsmax report indicated, Carr’s oversight seeks to ensure these negotiations enable local affiliates to continue fulfilling their obligations to the public. “The FCC has a responsibility to ensure that these negotiations allow local stations to meet their federal obligations and serve the needs of their local communities,” Carr concluded.
This isn’t the first time Carr has publicly challenged powerful media and tech entities. Last month, as Newsmax reported, Carr addressed letters to the CEOs of Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and Alphabet, demanding transparency regarding alleged censorship activities targeting conservatives.
In these letters, Carr specifically sought information on how these companies interact with left-leaning media monitoring organizations, such as NewsGuard, and how advertising policies might indirectly contribute to political bias on digital platforms.
As the Newsmax report highlighted, Carr’s leadership of the FCC will likely mark a significant shift toward increased oversight and accountability for both national broadcasters and Big Tech companies. His pointed criticism of ABC News and Disney sets the tone for a more aggressive regulatory stance on issues related to media trust, fairness, and the role of retransmission fees in supporting local journalism.
For Disney and ABC, the implications are clear: the FCC under Carr will not shy away from scrutinizing their practices. The report at Newsmax emphasized that the $15 million settlement with Trump’s future presidential foundation will remain a flashpoint in ongoing debates about media accountability and journalistic standards.
The outcome of ABC’s retransmission negotiations will serve as an early indicator of how Carr plans to wield his authority as FCC Chair.
