For Immediate Release

DEMOCRATS PRESSURE FCC TO DENY SALE OF SPANISH-LANGUAGE RADIO STATION IN FLORIDA BASED ON POLITICAL VIEWPOINTS
“To win in 2022 this must stop!” Florida Democrat Says of Campaign

WASHINGTON, April 19, 2021—Congressional Democrats recently called on the FCC to reject the sale of a Spanish-language radio station in South Florida based purely on politics.  According to the Democrat Representatives, the FCC must block this change in ownership to prevent what they view as a progressive broadcast station from beginning to air conservative viewpoints to Miami’s Hispanic community.

As Newsweek reported, “Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) mobilized … to pressure the Federal Communications Commission to … reject the sale of the well-known Miami radio station Caracol 1260 AM.”  Separately, Newsweek wrote that Florida Democrats are sounding the alarm and reported that one former Obama Administration official called the sale of the station “‘a problem’ for the party.”  Former Representative Debbie Mucarsel-Powell added that “To win in 2022 this must stop!” in reference to the Newsweek story.

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr issued the following statement in response:

“This attempt by Democrats in Congress to pressure the FCC into blocking the sale of a Spanish-language radio station based on the political viewpoints that it would broadcast to South Florida’s Hispanic community crosses a line drawn by the First Amendment.  The FCC has no business doing the Democrats’ bidding or using our regulatory process to censor political opinions that Democrats do not like.  What’s worse, the Democrats appear to be treating the FCC as merely an arm of the DNC—expressly pressuring the agency to take action that they believe will increase their electoral odds in Florida in 2022.

“This is a deeply troubling transgression of free speech and the FCC’s status as an independent agency.  I call on my FCC colleagues to join me in publicly rejecting this attempt to inject partisan politics into our licensing process.  Doing so would go a long way in assuring the public that the FCC will review this proposed transaction free from political pressure and according to our long-standing rules and precedents.”

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Office of Commissioner Brendan Carr: (202) 418-2200
www.fcc.gov/about/leadership/brendan-carr

Media Contact:
Benjamin Arden, (202) 418-0288 or benjamin.arden@fcc.gov