FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON, DC 20554 Brendan Carr Chairman June 3, 2026 The Honorable Edward J. Markey United States Senate 255 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 RE: May 7, 2026, Letter to the FCC Dear Senator Markey, Thank you for your May 7, 2026, letter to the Federal Communications Commission. It provides an opportunity for me to correct the record on several misconceptions regarding the FCC’s work. Throughout the previous Administration, communications laws and FCC processes were repeatedly weaponized for political purposes. For instance, in the years prior, you and other Senate Democrats demanded that the FCC “investigate Sinclair’s news activities” after progressives expressed concern that Sinclair aired perspective to the right of theirs.1 Following your letter, the Biden FCC did not renew any or nearly any of the hundreds of routine Sinclair licenses that came up for renewal. I do not believe that has ever happened before. But that is not all. Democrats also ran a campaign to pressure cable companies into dropping what Democrats described as “Right-wing media outlets,” like Fox News, Newsmax, and OANN.2 And that campaign worked, resulting in several providers dropping one or more of those channels. During the Biden years, Democrats successfully pressured the FCC to block the sale of a Spanish-language radio station for overtly political reasons.3 During the Biden years, the FCC refused to renew hundreds of routine broadcast licenses following political pressure from Democrats in Congress.4 And the Biden FCC teed up for action a petition seeking to take away a Fox broadcast license based on content that allegedly ran on a Fox News cable channel.5 The list goes on and on, as I have detailed. 1 See Letter from Sen. Maria Cantwell to Chairman Ajit Pai, Federal Communications Commission (Apr. 11, 2018), https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/04112018%20Sinclair%20News%20Distortion%20Letter%20w%2 0Signatures.pdf. 2 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 26, 2025) (Blumenthal Letter 2025), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-410581A2.pdf. 3 Id. 4 Id. 5 Id. Page 2—The Honorable Edward J. Markey In contrast to the Biden years, I am focused as Chairman of the FCC on restoring the agency’s commitment to basic fairness and faithful adherence to the Congressionally enacted Communications Act. Through the diligent work of the FCC’s talented staff, the agency has been delivering great results for the American people. Internet speeds are up. Prices are down. Competition is stronger than before. And the FCC has taken bold steps to promote our national security interests. There is much more work ahead. But the U.S. is now leading the world again in next- gen technologies—including ones that will connect families that had been stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide for far too long. The FCC is also freeing up spectrum after years of inaction. And we are cutting through the red tape that has slowed down Internet builds across the country. With respect to the FCC’s work on media issues, in particular, the reporting to date has left the public with one false impression after another. So, your letter provides me with a chance to address misinformation surrounding the Disney investigation. On media policy, the FCC is administering the unique regulatory framework that Congress decided to apply to broadcasters many years ago. In doing so, the agency is working to empower local broadcast TV stations that serve diverse communities across the nation. It is important to me that local broadcast TV stations have the chance to succeed and thrive into the future. They provide the trusted sources of local news and information that so many find so important today. In many communities, they are the only sources of real reporting because misguided federal policies contributed to the hollowing out and closure of local newspapers. I want to ensure that America’s local broadcasters do not go the way of defunct local newspapers. As noted above, the reporting on the FCC’s media policies have consistently misled the American public. For instance, the media and many in public life recently fell for a hoax apparently concocted by a former late night TV host and a Democrat candidate for Senate in Texas. Specifically, the candidate, in an apparent effort to get attention and political donations, falsely indicated that the FCC or the Administration censored or otherwise prevented one of his interviews from airing on broadcast TV. That claim was and is obviously false.6 The government did not prevent any such interview from airing. Yet too many people ran with the story anyways. Your letter asks about the FCC’s media policy. For example, your letter asks specifically about the FCC’s decision to invoke the agency’s longstanding authority to call in broadcast licenses for early renewal. As I have stated on several occasions, the FCC ordered the early renewal of Disney’s ABC TV stations based on the agency’s ongoing investigation into allegations that the relevant corporate entities discriminated on the basis of race, gender, and/or other protected 6 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 06, 2026), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-420011A2.pdf. Page 3—The Honorable Edward J. Markey characteristics in violation of federal law.7 These are serious allegations, and this is an FCC enforcement matter that remains under consideration at the agency. As you may know, the Communications Act and longstanding Commission rules prohibit FCC- regulated entities from engaging in discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, or sex.8 The FCC’s Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) rules impose specific obligations on regulated entities, including broadcast licensees such as Disney’s ABC TV stations. The FCC has both the authority and the responsibility to ensure compliance with those obligations.9 Last year, following a series of public reports and allegations, on March 27, 2025, I asked the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau to open an investigation into whether Disney was complying with the Commission’s EEO requirements. Those reports, including ones based on whistleblower accounts and publicly available corporate initiatives, described practices that appeared to raise serious concerns under the FCC’s nondiscrimination rules. For example, public reporting indicated that Disney may have relied on race, gender, or other protected characteristics in making hiring and promotion decisions, made compensation decisions based on race, gender, or other protected characteristics, limited workplace opportunities to employees based on race, gender, or other protected characteristic, and/or made other decisions based on impermissibly discriminatory considerations.10 Other reports described affinity groups and programs that appeared to segregate employees on the basis of race or identity characteristics.11 These allegations and reports, though concerning, do not represent FCC conclusions or determinations. Disney is submitting evidence, and the FCC is reserving judgment on the issues. But given the nature of the reports implicating the kind of race-based discrimination whose prohibition has been an essential part of the federal legal system for decades, the FCC had a responsibility to determine if any of Disney’s practices implicated the Commission’s EEO rules or other applicable federal nondiscrimination requirements. The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau advanced its investigation in June of 2025 by issuing a letter of inquiry (“LOI”) to Disney. As you may know, LOIs are a standard investigative tool used by the Commission to obtain information relevant to potential violations of law or FCC rules. As the Bureau made clear in its June 5, 2025, letter of inquiry (“Initial LOI”), the action constituted an order of the FCC to produce the documents and information requested therein. Failure to fully 7 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026) (Early Renewal Order), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-416A1.pdf. 8 See, e.g., 47 U.S.C. § 151. 9 See, e.g., 47 CFR §§ 25.601, 90.168, 73.2080(a), 76.73. 10 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company (Mar. 27, 2025), https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/Carr-Letter- to-Disney-DEI-03252027.pdf. 11 Id. Page 4—The Honorable Edward J. Markey respond to the LOI constitutes a violation of the Communications Act and FCC rules.12 FCC staff reviewed Disney’s response to the Initial LOI and a subsequent request for additional information. FCC staff continued to have concerns about Disney’s compliance with federal antidiscrimination law following their review that took place over the course of months. Accordingly, in February 2026, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau issued a supplemental LOI seeking additional materials, including documents that Disney apparently omitted from its initial production. Disney subsequently requested, and received, additional time to respond. Following FCC staff review of those supplemental materials, concerns were again raised regarding the adequacy of Disney’s production, the adequacy of its response, and whether it complied with the agency’s lawful enforcement requests. Indeed, the FCC has formally notified Disney that responses to the agency’s lawful inquiries have been deficient, nonresponsive, and disingenuous. Accordingly, after more than a year of investigative activity, multiple rounds of document requests, and ongoing engagement between FCC staff and Disney representatives, the FCC’s Media Bureau issued an early renewal order pursuant to the Commission’s longstanding rules 13 and procedures.12F FCC leadership signaled for months that an early renewal order was a distinct possibility in this and other cases. Indeed, under my leadership the FCC has been more transparent about the scope of our investigative work than prior leadership. Consistent with the FCC’s Early Renewal Order, Disney filed its renewal application with the FCC’s Media Bureau on May 28, 2026. This triggers a process where interested parties will have the opportunity to file, both in support and in opposition to the application. The FCC will consider the whole record and evaluate whether to grant renewal or whether more process is called for to determine if the licensee is qualified to continue to hold its license. Throughout, the FCC has not singled out any one company for special treatment. We have been considering early license renewal as a potential investigative or enforcement step involving 12 See 47 U.S.C. § 503(b)(1)(B); see also Aura Holdings of Wisconsin, Inc., Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 3688, 3696, para. 21 (2018), forfeiture order issued, 34 FCC Rcd 2540 (2019) (imposing a $19,693 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); ABC Fulfillment Services LLC d/b/a HobbyKing USA LLC and HobbyKing.com, and Indubitably, Inc. d/b/a/ HobbyKing Corp., HobbyKing USA LLC, HobbyKing and HobbyKing.com, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 5530 (2018), aff’d, Forfeiture Order, 35 FCC Rcd 7441 (2020) (imposing a $39,278 forfeiture for failure to respond to LOI); Net One Int'l, Net One, LLC, Farrahtel Int'l, LLC, Forfeiture Order, 29 FCC Rcd 264, 267, para. 9 (EB 2014), recon. denied, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 30 FCC Rcd 1021 (EB 2015) (imposing a $25,000 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); Conexions, LLC d/b/a Conexion Wireless, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 15318, 15325, para. 22 (2013) (proposing a $300,000 forfeiture for failure to provide timely and complete responses to an LOI); Technical Commc’n Network, LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 1018, 1020, para. 8 (EB 2013) (proposing a $25,000 forfeiture for failure to provide a complete response to an LOI); SBC Commc’ns, Inc., Forfeiture Order, 17 FCC Rcd 7589, 7600, para. 28 (2002) (imposing $100,000 penalty for failing to submit a sworn written response); Quadrant Holdings LLC, Q Link Wireless LLC, & Hello Mobile LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 37 FCC Rcd 9304, 9307, para. 9 (EB 2022). 13 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026). Page 5—The Honorable Edward J. Markey broadcasters more generally.14 Nor is early renewal limited to Disney’s ABC stations. For example, the FCC has been investigating Bridge News, LLC, for repeated violations of the FCC’s rules. After issuing two LOIs, the FCC determined in April that the appropriate next investigative step would be to call in its licenses early for renewal.15 Additionally, the FCC’s Media Bureau concluded that a short-term license renewal made sense as an appropriate step for SPB LLC, an AM Radio license holder, following continued violations of the FCC’s online public file rule, which called into question whether the station was meetings its public interest obligations.16 I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your letter and to clarify recent FCC actions. Under my leadership, the FCC will continue working to ensure fair and even-handed treatment for all parties appearing before the agency while faithfully carrying out the FCC’s statutory obligations. Sincerely, Brendan Carr, Chairman 14 US FCC could speed up broadcast license reviews, says agency head Carr, Reuters (Mar. 16, 2026), https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/fcc-could-speed-up-broadcast-license-reviews-says-agency-head- carr-2026-03-16/. 15 See Bridge News, LLC, Order, DA 26-413 (rel. Apr. 27, 2026). 16 See SPB LLC, Order on Reconsideration, DA 26-434 (rel. May 1, 2026). FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON, DC 20554 Brendan Carr Chairman June 3, 2026 The Honorable Charles E. Schumer United States Senate 322 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 RE: May 7, 2026, Letter to the FCC Dear Senator Schumer, Thank you for your May 7, 2026, letter to the Federal Communications Commission. It provides an opportunity for me to correct the record on several misconceptions regarding the FCC’s work. Throughout the previous Administration, communications laws and FCC processes were repeatedly weaponized for political purposes. For instance, in the years prior, you and other Senate Democrats demanded that the FCC “investigate Sinclair’s news activities” after progressives expressed concern that Sinclair aired perspective to the right of theirs.1 Following your letter, the Biden FCC did not renew any or nearly any of the hundreds of routine Sinclair licenses that came up for renewal. I do not believe that has ever happened before. But that is not all. Democrats also ran a campaign to pressure cable companies into dropping what Democrats described as “Right-wing media outlets,” like Fox News, Newsmax, and OANN.2 And that campaign worked, resulting in several providers dropping one or more of those channels. During the Biden years, Democrats successfully pressured the FCC to block the sale of a Spanish-language radio station for overtly political reasons.3 During the Biden years, the FCC refused to renew hundreds of routine broadcast licenses following political pressure from Democrats in Congress.4 And the Biden FCC teed up for action a petition seeking to take away a Fox broadcast license based on content that allegedly ran on a Fox News cable channel.5 The list goes on and on, as I have detailed. 1 See Letter from Sen. Maria Cantwell to Chairman Ajit Pai, Federal Communications Commission (Apr. 11, 2018), https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/04112018%20Sinclair%20News%20Distortion%20Letter%20w%2 0Signatures.pdf. 2 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 26, 2025) (Blumenthal Letter 2025), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-410581A2.pdf. 3 Id. 4 Id. 5 Id. Page 2—The Honorable Charles E. Schumer In contrast to the Biden years, I am focused as Chairman of the FCC on restoring the agency’s commitment to basic fairness and faithful adherence to the Congressionally enacted Communications Act. Through the diligent work of the FCC’s talented staff, the agency has been delivering great results for the American people. Internet speeds are up. Prices are down. Competition is stronger than before. And the FCC has taken bold steps to promote our national security interests. There is much more work ahead. But the U.S. is now leading the world again in next- gen technologies—including ones that will connect families that had been stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide for far too long. The FCC is also freeing up spectrum after years of inaction. And we are cutting through the red tape that has slowed down Internet builds across the country. With respect to the FCC’s work on media issues, in particular, the reporting to date has left the public with one false impression after another. So, your letter provides me with a chance to address misinformation surrounding the Disney investigation. On media policy, the FCC is administering the unique regulatory framework that Congress decided to apply to broadcasters many years ago. In doing so, the agency is working to empower local broadcast TV stations that serve diverse communities across the nation. It is important to me that local broadcast TV stations have the chance to succeed and thrive into the future. They provide the trusted sources of local news and information that so many find so important today. In many communities, they are the only sources of real reporting because misguided federal policies contributed to the hollowing out and closure of local newspapers. I want to ensure that America’s local broadcasters do not go the way of defunct local newspapers. As noted above, the reporting on the FCC’s media policies have consistently misled the American public. For instance, the media and many in public life recently fell for a hoax apparently concocted by a former late night TV host and a Democrat candidate for Senate in Texas. Specifically, the candidate, in an apparent effort to get attention and political donations, falsely indicated that the FCC or the Administration censored or otherwise prevented one of his interviews from airing on broadcast TV. That claim was and is obviously false.6 The government did not prevent any such interview from airing. Yet too many people ran with the story anyways. Your letter asks about the FCC’s media policy. For example, your letter asks specifically about the FCC’s decision to invoke the agency’s longstanding authority to call in broadcast licenses for early renewal. As I have stated on several occasions, the FCC ordered the early renewal of Disney’s ABC TV stations based on the agency’s ongoing investigation into allegations that the relevant corporate entities discriminated on the basis of race, gender, and/or other protected 6 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 06, 2026), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-420011A2.pdf. Page 3—The Honorable Charles E. Schumer characteristics in violation of federal law.7 These are serious allegations, and this is an FCC enforcement matter that remains under consideration at the agency. As you may know, the Communications Act and longstanding Commission rules prohibit FCC- regulated entities from engaging in discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, or sex.8 The FCC’s Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) rules impose specific obligations on regulated entities, including broadcast licensees such as Disney’s ABC TV stations. The FCC has both the authority and the responsibility to ensure compliance with those obligations.9 Last year, following a series of public reports and allegations, on March 27, 2025, I asked the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau to open an investigation into whether Disney was complying with the Commission’s EEO requirements. Those reports, including ones based on whistleblower accounts and publicly available corporate initiatives, described practices that appeared to raise serious concerns under the FCC’s nondiscrimination rules. For example, public reporting indicated that Disney may have relied on race, gender, or other protected characteristics in making hiring and promotion decisions, made compensation decisions based on race, gender, or other protected characteristics, limited workplace opportunities to employees based on race, gender, or other protected characteristic, and/or made other decisions based on impermissibly discriminatory considerations.10 Other reports described affinity groups and programs that appeared to segregate employees on the basis of race or identity characteristics.11 These allegations and reports, though concerning, do not represent FCC conclusions or determinations. Disney is submitting evidence, and the FCC is reserving judgment on the issues. But given the nature of the reports implicating the kind of race-based discrimination whose prohibition has been an essential part of the federal legal system for decades, the FCC had a responsibility to determine if any of Disney’s practices implicated the Commission’s EEO rules or other applicable federal nondiscrimination requirements. The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau advanced its investigation in June of 2025 by issuing a letter of inquiry (“LOI”) to Disney. As you may know, LOIs are a standard investigative tool used by the Commission to obtain information relevant to potential violations of law or FCC rules. As the Bureau made clear in its June 5, 2025, letter of inquiry (“Initial LOI”), the action constituted an order of the FCC to produce the documents and information requested therein. Failure to fully 7 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026) (Early Renewal Order), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-416A1.pdf. 8 See, e.g., 47 U.S.C. § 151. 9 See, e.g., 47 CFR §§ 25.601, 90.168, 73.2080(a), 76.73. 10 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company (Mar. 27, 2025), https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/Carr-Letter- to-Disney-DEI-03252027.pdf. 11 Id. Page 4—The Honorable Charles E. Schumer respond to the LOI constitutes a violation of the Communications Act and FCC rules.12 FCC staff reviewed Disney’s response to the Initial LOI and a subsequent request for additional information. FCC staff continued to have concerns about Disney’s compliance with federal antidiscrimination law following their review that took place over the course of months. Accordingly, in February 2026, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau issued a supplemental LOI seeking additional materials, including documents that Disney apparently omitted from its initial production. Disney subsequently requested, and received, additional time to respond. Following FCC staff review of those supplemental materials, concerns were again raised regarding the adequacy of Disney’s production, the adequacy of its response, and whether it complied with the agency’s lawful enforcement requests. Indeed, the FCC has formally notified Disney that responses to the agency’s lawful inquiries have been deficient, nonresponsive, and disingenuous. Accordingly, after more than a year of investigative activity, multiple rounds of document requests, and ongoing engagement between FCC staff and Disney representatives, the FCC’s Media Bureau issued an early renewal order pursuant to the Commission’s longstanding rules 13 and procedures.28F FCC leadership signaled for months that an early renewal order was a distinct possibility in this and other cases. Indeed, under my leadership the FCC has been more transparent about the scope of our investigative work than prior leadership. Consistent with the FCC’s Early Renewal Order, Disney filed its renewal application with the FCC’s Media Bureau on May 28, 2026. This triggers a process where interested parties will have the opportunity to file, both in support and in opposition to the application. The FCC will consider the whole record and evaluate whether to grant renewal or whether more process is called for to determine if the licensee is qualified to continue to hold its license. Throughout, the FCC has not singled out any one company for special treatment. We have been considering early license renewal as a potential investigative or enforcement step involving 12 See 47 U.S.C. § 503(b)(1)(B); see also Aura Holdings of Wisconsin, Inc., Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 3688, 3696, para. 21 (2018), forfeiture order issued, 34 FCC Rcd 2540 (2019) (imposing a $19,693 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); ABC Fulfillment Services LLC d/b/a HobbyKing USA LLC and HobbyKing.com, and Indubitably, Inc. d/b/a/ HobbyKing Corp., HobbyKing USA LLC, HobbyKing and HobbyKing.com, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 5530 (2018), aff’d, Forfeiture Order, 35 FCC Rcd 7441 (2020) (imposing a $39,278 forfeiture for failure to respond to LOI); Net One Int'l, Net One, LLC, Farrahtel Int'l, LLC, Forfeiture Order, 29 FCC Rcd 264, 267, para. 9 (EB 2014), recon. denied, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 30 FCC Rcd 1021 (EB 2015) (imposing a $25,000 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); Conexions, LLC d/b/a Conexion Wireless, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 15318, 15325, para. 22 (2013) (proposing a $300,000 forfeiture for failure to provide timely and complete responses to an LOI); Technical Commc’n Network, LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 1018, 1020, para. 8 (EB 2013) (proposing a $25,000 forfeiture for failure to provide a complete response to an LOI); SBC Commc’ns, Inc., Forfeiture Order, 17 FCC Rcd 7589, 7600, para. 28 (2002) (imposing $100,000 penalty for failing to submit a sworn written response); Quadrant Holdings LLC, Q Link Wireless LLC, & Hello Mobile LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 37 FCC Rcd 9304, 9307, para. 9 (EB 2022). 13 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026). Page 5—The Honorable Charles E. Schumer broadcasters more generally.14 Nor is early renewal limited to Disney’s ABC stations. For example, the FCC has been investigating Bridge News, LLC, for repeated violations of the FCC’s rules. After issuing two LOIs, the FCC determined in April that the appropriate next investigative step would be to call in its licenses early for renewal.15 Additionally, the FCC’s Media Bureau concluded that a short-term license renewal made sense as an appropriate step for SPB LLC, an AM Radio license holder, following continued violations of the FCC’s online public file rule, which called into question whether the station was meetings its public interest obligations.16 I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your letter and to clarify recent FCC actions. Under my leadership, the FCC will continue working to ensure fair and even-handed treatment for all parties appearing before the agency while faithfully carrying out the FCC’s statutory obligations. Sincerely, Brendan Carr, Chairman 14 US FCC could speed up broadcast license reviews, says agency head Carr, Reuters (Mar. 16, 2026), https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/fcc-could-speed-up-broadcast-license-reviews-says-agency-head- carr-2026-03-16/. 15 See Bridge News, LLC, Order, DA 26-413 (rel. Apr. 27, 2026). 16 See SPB LLC, Order on Reconsideration, DA 26-434 (rel. May 1, 2026). FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON, DC 20554 Brendan Carr Chairman June 3, 2026 The Honorable Maria Cantwell United States Senate 511 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 RE: May 7, 2026, Letter to the FCC Dear Senator Cantwell, Thank you for your May 7, 2026, letter to the Federal Communications Commission. It provides an opportunity for me to correct the record on several misconceptions regarding the FCC’s work. Throughout the previous Administration, communications laws and FCC processes were repeatedly weaponized for political purposes. For instance, in the years prior, you and other Senate Democrats demanded that the FCC “investigate Sinclair’s news activities” after progressives expressed concern that Sinclair aired perspective to the right of theirs.1 Following your letter, the Biden FCC did not renew any or nearly any of the hundreds of routine Sinclair licenses that came up for renewal. I do not believe that has ever happened before. But that is not all. Democrats also ran a campaign to pressure cable companies into dropping what Democrats described as “Right-wing media outlets,” like Fox News, Newsmax, and OANN.2 And that campaign worked, resulting in several providers dropping one or more of those channels. During the Biden years, Democrats successfully pressured the FCC to block the sale of a Spanish-language radio station for overtly political reasons.3 During the Biden years, the FCC refused to renew hundreds of routine broadcast licenses following political pressure from Democrats in Congress.4 And the Biden FCC teed up for action a petition seeking to take away a Fox broadcast license based on content that allegedly ran on a Fox News cable channel.5 The list goes on and on, as I have detailed. 1 See Letter from Sen. Maria Cantwell to Chairman Ajit Pai, Federal Communications Commission (Apr. 11, 2018), https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/04112018%20Sinclair%20News%20Distortion%20Letter%20w%2 0Signatures.pdf. 2 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 26, 2025) (Blumenthal Letter 2025), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-410581A2.pdf. 3 Id. 4 Id. 5 Id. Page 2—The Honorable Maria Cantwell In contrast to the Biden years, I am focused as Chairman of the FCC on restoring the agency’s commitment to basic fairness and faithful adherence to the Congressionally enacted Communications Act. Through the diligent work of the FCC’s talented staff, the agency has been delivering great results for the American people. Internet speeds are up. Prices are down. Competition is stronger than before. And the FCC has taken bold steps to promote our national security interests. There is much more work ahead. But the U.S. is now leading the world again in next- gen technologies—including ones that will connect families that had been stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide for far too long. The FCC is also freeing up spectrum after years of inaction. And we are cutting through the red tape that has slowed down Internet builds across the country. With respect to the FCC’s work on media issues, in particular, the reporting to date has left the public with one false impression after another. So, your letter provides me with a chance to address misinformation surrounding the Disney investigation. On media policy, the FCC is administering the unique regulatory framework that Congress decided to apply to broadcasters many years ago. In doing so, the agency is working to empower local broadcast TV stations that serve diverse communities across the nation. It is important to me that local broadcast TV stations have the chance to succeed and thrive into the future. They provide the trusted sources of local news and information that so many find so important today. In many communities, they are the only sources of real reporting because misguided federal policies contributed to the hollowing out and closure of local newspapers. I want to ensure that America’s local broadcasters do not go the way of defunct local newspapers. As noted above, the reporting on the FCC’s media policies have consistently misled the American public. For instance, the media and many in public life recently fell for a hoax apparently concocted by a former late night TV host and a Democrat candidate for Senate in Texas. Specifically, the candidate, in an apparent effort to get attention and political donations, falsely indicated that the FCC or the Administration censored or otherwise prevented one of his interviews from airing on broadcast TV. That claim was and is obviously false.6 The government did not prevent any such interview from airing. Yet too many people ran with the story anyways. Your letter asks about the FCC’s media policy. For example, your letter asks specifically about the FCC’s decision to invoke the agency’s longstanding authority to call in broadcast licenses for early renewal. As I have stated on several occasions, the FCC ordered the early renewal of Disney’s ABC TV stations based on the agency’s ongoing investigation into allegations that the relevant corporate entities discriminated on the basis of race, gender, and/or other protected 6 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 06, 2026), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-420011A2.pdf. Page 3—The Honorable Maria Cantwell characteristics in violation of federal law.7 These are serious allegations, and this is an FCC enforcement matter that remains under consideration at the agency. As you may know, the Communications Act and longstanding Commission rules prohibit FCC- regulated entities from engaging in discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, or sex.8 The FCC’s Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) rules impose specific obligations on regulated entities, including broadcast licensees such as Disney’s ABC TV stations. The FCC has both the authority and the responsibility to ensure compliance with those obligations.9 Last year, following a series of public reports and allegations, on March 27, 2025, I asked the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau to open an investigation into whether Disney was complying with the Commission’s EEO requirements. Those reports, including ones based on whistleblower accounts and publicly available corporate initiatives, described practices that appeared to raise serious concerns under the FCC’s nondiscrimination rules. For example, public reporting indicated that Disney may have relied on race, gender, or other protected characteristics in making hiring and promotion decisions, made compensation decisions based on race, gender, or other protected characteristics, limited workplace opportunities to employees based on race, gender, or other protected characteristic, and/or made other decisions based on impermissibly discriminatory considerations.10 Other reports described affinity groups and programs that appeared to segregate employees on the basis of race or identity characteristics.11 These allegations and reports, though concerning, do not represent FCC conclusions or determinations. Disney is submitting evidence, and the FCC is reserving judgment on the issues. But given the nature of the reports implicating the kind of race-based discrimination whose prohibition has been an essential part of the federal legal system for decades, the FCC had a responsibility to determine if any of Disney’s practices implicated the Commission’s EEO rules or other applicable federal nondiscrimination requirements. The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau advanced its investigation in June of 2025 by issuing a letter of inquiry (“LOI”) to Disney. As you may know, LOIs are a standard investigative tool used by the Commission to obtain information relevant to potential violations of law or FCC rules. As the Bureau made clear in its June 5, 2025, letter of inquiry (“Initial LOI”), the action constituted an order of the FCC to produce the documents and information requested therein. Failure to fully 7 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026) (Early Renewal Order), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-416A1.pdf. 8 See, e.g., 47 U.S.C. § 151. 9 See, e.g., 47 CFR §§ 25.601, 90.168, 73.2080(a), 76.73. 10 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company (Mar. 27, 2025), https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/Carr-Letter- to-Disney-DEI-03252027.pdf. 11 Id. Page 4—The Honorable Maria Cantwell respond to the LOI constitutes a violation of the Communications Act and FCC rules.12 FCC staff reviewed Disney’s response to the Initial LOI and a subsequent request for additional information. FCC staff continued to have concerns about Disney’s compliance with federal antidiscrimination law following their review that took place over the course of months. Accordingly, in February 2026, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau issued a supplemental LOI seeking additional materials, including documents that Disney apparently omitted from its initial production. Disney subsequently requested, and received, additional time to respond. Following FCC staff review of those supplemental materials, concerns were again raised regarding the adequacy of Disney’s production, the adequacy of its response, and whether it complied with the agency’s lawful enforcement requests. Indeed, the FCC has formally notified Disney that responses to the agency’s lawful inquiries have been deficient, nonresponsive, and disingenuous. Accordingly, after more than a year of investigative activity, multiple rounds of document requests, and ongoing engagement between FCC staff and Disney representatives, the FCC’s Media Bureau issued an early renewal order pursuant to the Commission’s longstanding rules 13 and procedures.44F FCC leadership signaled for months that an early renewal order was a distinct possibility in this and other cases. Indeed, under my leadership the FCC has been more transparent about the scope of our investigative work than prior leadership. Consistent with the FCC’s Early Renewal Order, Disney filed its renewal application with the FCC’s Media Bureau on May 28, 2026. This triggers a process where interested parties will have the opportunity to file, both in support and in opposition to the application. The FCC will consider the whole record and evaluate whether to grant renewal or whether more process is called for to determine if the licensee is qualified to continue to hold its license. Throughout, the FCC has not singled out any one company for special treatment. We have been considering early license renewal as a potential investigative or enforcement step involving 12 See 47 U.S.C. § 503(b)(1)(B); see also Aura Holdings of Wisconsin, Inc., Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 3688, 3696, para. 21 (2018), forfeiture order issued, 34 FCC Rcd 2540 (2019) (imposing a $19,693 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); ABC Fulfillment Services LLC d/b/a HobbyKing USA LLC and HobbyKing.com, and Indubitably, Inc. d/b/a/ HobbyKing Corp., HobbyKing USA LLC, HobbyKing and HobbyKing.com, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 5530 (2018), aff’d, Forfeiture Order, 35 FCC Rcd 7441 (2020) (imposing a $39,278 forfeiture for failure to respond to LOI); Net One Int'l, Net One, LLC, Farrahtel Int'l, LLC, Forfeiture Order, 29 FCC Rcd 264, 267, para. 9 (EB 2014), recon. denied, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 30 FCC Rcd 1021 (EB 2015) (imposing a $25,000 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); Conexions, LLC d/b/a Conexion Wireless, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 15318, 15325, para. 22 (2013) (proposing a $300,000 forfeiture for failure to provide timely and complete responses to an LOI); Technical Commc’n Network, LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 1018, 1020, para. 8 (EB 2013) (proposing a $25,000 forfeiture for failure to provide a complete response to an LOI); SBC Commc’ns, Inc., Forfeiture Order, 17 FCC Rcd 7589, 7600, para. 28 (2002) (imposing $100,000 penalty for failing to submit a sworn written response); Quadrant Holdings LLC, Q Link Wireless LLC, & Hello Mobile LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 37 FCC Rcd 9304, 9307, para. 9 (EB 2022). 13 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026). Page 5—The Honorable Maria Cantwell broadcasters more generally.14 Nor is early renewal limited to Disney’s ABC stations. For example, the FCC has been investigating Bridge News, LLC, for repeated violations of the FCC’s rules. After issuing two LOIs, the FCC determined in April that the appropriate next investigative step would be to call in its licenses early for renewal.15 Additionally, the FCC’s Media Bureau concluded that a short-term license renewal made sense as an appropriate step for SPB LLC, an AM Radio license holder, following continued violations of the FCC’s online public file rule, which called into question whether the station was meetings its public interest obligations.16 I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your letter and to clarify recent FCC actions. Under my leadership, the FCC will continue working to ensure fair and even-handed treatment for all parties appearing before the agency while faithfully carrying out the FCC’s statutory obligations. Sincerely, Brendan Carr, Chairman 14 US FCC could speed up broadcast license reviews, says agency head Carr, Reuters (Mar. 16, 2026), https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/fcc-could-speed-up-broadcast-license-reviews-says-agency-head- carr-2026-03-16/. 15 See Bridge News, LLC, Order, DA 26-413 (rel. Apr. 27, 2026). 16 See SPB LLC, Order on Reconsideration, DA 26-434 (rel. May 1, 2026). FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON, DC 20554 Brendan Carr Chairman June 3, 2026 The Honorable Ben Ray Lujan United States Senate 498 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 RE: May 7, 2026, Letter to the FCC Dear Senator Lujan, Thank you for your May 7, 2026, letter to the Federal Communications Commission. It provides an opportunity for me to correct the record on several misconceptions regarding the FCC’s work. Throughout the previous Administration, communications laws and FCC processes were repeatedly weaponized for political purposes. For instance, in the years prior, you and other Senate Democrats demanded that the FCC “investigate Sinclair’s news activities” after progressives expressed concern that Sinclair aired perspective to the right of theirs.1 Following your letter, the Biden FCC did not renew any or nearly any of the hundreds of routine Sinclair licenses that came up for renewal. I do not believe that has ever happened before. But that is not all. Democrats also ran a campaign to pressure cable companies into dropping what Democrats described as “Right-wing media outlets,” like Fox News, Newsmax, and OANN.2 And that campaign worked, resulting in several providers dropping one or more of those channels. During the Biden years, Democrats successfully pressured the FCC to block the sale of a Spanish-language radio station for overtly political reasons.3 During the Biden years, the FCC refused to renew hundreds of routine broadcast licenses following political pressure from Democrats in Congress.4 And the Biden FCC teed up for action a petition seeking to take away a Fox broadcast license based on content that allegedly ran on a Fox News cable channel.5 The list goes on and on, as I have detailed. 1 See Letter from Sen. Maria Cantwell to Chairman Ajit Pai, Federal Communications Commission (Apr. 11, 2018), https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/04112018%20Sinclair%20News%20Distortion%20Letter%20w%2 0Signatures.pdf. 2 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 26, 2025) (Blumenthal Letter 2025), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-410581A2.pdf. 3 Id. 4 Id. 5 Id. Page 2—The Honorable Ben Ray Lujan In contrast to the Biden years, I am focused as Chairman of the FCC on restoring the agency’s commitment to basic fairness and faithful adherence to the Congressionally enacted Communications Act. Through the diligent work of the FCC’s talented staff, the agency has been delivering great results for the American people. Internet speeds are up. Prices are down. Competition is stronger than before. And the FCC has taken bold steps to promote our national security interests. There is much more work ahead. But the U.S. is now leading the world again in next- gen technologies—including ones that will connect families that had been stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide for far too long. The FCC is also freeing up spectrum after years of inaction. And we are cutting through the red tape that has slowed down Internet builds across the country. With respect to the FCC’s work on media issues, in particular, the reporting to date has left the public with one false impression after another. So, your letter provides me with a chance to address misinformation surrounding the Disney investigation. On media policy, the FCC is administering the unique regulatory framework that Congress decided to apply to broadcasters many years ago. In doing so, the agency is working to empower local broadcast TV stations that serve diverse communities across the nation. It is important to me that local broadcast TV stations have the chance to succeed and thrive into the future. They provide the trusted sources of local news and information that so many find so important today. In many communities, they are the only sources of real reporting because misguided federal policies contributed to the hollowing out and closure of local newspapers. I want to ensure that America’s local broadcasters do not go the way of defunct local newspapers. As noted above, the reporting on the FCC’s media policies have consistently misled the American public. For instance, the media and many in public life recently fell for a hoax apparently concocted by a former late night TV host and a Democrat candidate for Senate in Texas. Specifically, the candidate, in an apparent effort to get attention and political donations, falsely indicated that the FCC or the Administration censored or otherwise prevented one of his interviews from airing on broadcast TV. That claim was and is obviously false.6 The government did not prevent any such interview from airing. Yet too many people ran with the story anyways. Your letter asks about the FCC’s media policy. For example, your letter asks specifically about the FCC’s decision to invoke the agency’s longstanding authority to call in broadcast licenses for early renewal. As I have stated on several occasions, the FCC ordered the early renewal of Disney’s ABC TV stations based on the agency’s ongoing investigation into allegations that the relevant corporate entities discriminated on the basis of race, gender, and/or other protected 6 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 06, 2026), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-420011A2.pdf. Page 3—The Honorable Ben Ray Lujan characteristics in violation of federal law.7 These are serious allegations, and this is an FCC enforcement matter that remains under consideration at the agency. As you may know, the Communications Act and longstanding Commission rules prohibit FCC- regulated entities from engaging in discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, or sex.8 The FCC’s Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) rules impose specific obligations on regulated entities, including broadcast licensees such as Disney’s ABC TV stations. The FCC has both the authority and the responsibility to ensure compliance with those obligations.9 Last year, following a series of public reports and allegations, on March 27, 2025, I asked the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau to open an investigation into whether Disney was complying with the Commission’s EEO requirements. Those reports, including ones based on whistleblower accounts and publicly available corporate initiatives, described practices that appeared to raise serious concerns under the FCC’s nondiscrimination rules. For example, public reporting indicated that Disney may have relied on race, gender, or other protected characteristics in making hiring and promotion decisions, made compensation decisions based on race, gender, or other protected characteristics, limited workplace opportunities to employees based on race, gender, or other protected characteristic, and/or made other decisions based on impermissibly discriminatory considerations.10 Other reports described affinity groups and programs that appeared to segregate employees on the basis of race or identity characteristics.11 These allegations and reports, though concerning, do not represent FCC conclusions or determinations. Disney is submitting evidence, and the FCC is reserving judgment on the issues. But given the nature of the reports implicating the kind of race-based discrimination whose prohibition has been an essential part of the federal legal system for decades, the FCC had a responsibility to determine if any of Disney’s practices implicated the Commission’s EEO rules or other applicable federal nondiscrimination requirements. The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau advanced its investigation in June of 2025 by issuing a letter of inquiry (“LOI”) to Disney. As you may know, LOIs are a standard investigative tool used by the Commission to obtain information relevant to potential violations of law or FCC rules. As the Bureau made clear in its June 5, 2025, letter of inquiry (“Initial LOI”), the action constituted an order of the FCC to produce the documents and information requested therein. Failure to fully 7 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026) (Early Renewal Order), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-416A1.pdf. 8 See, e.g., 47 U.S.C. § 151. 9 See, e.g., 47 CFR §§ 25.601, 90.168, 73.2080(a), 76.73. 10 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company (Mar. 27, 2025), https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/Carr-Letter- to-Disney-DEI-03252027.pdf. 11 Id. Page 4—The Honorable Ben Ray Lujan respond to the LOI constitutes a violation of the Communications Act and FCC rules.12 FCC staff reviewed Disney’s response to the Initial LOI and a subsequent request for additional information. FCC staff continued to have concerns about Disney’s compliance with federal antidiscrimination law following their review that took place over the course of months. Accordingly, in February 2026, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau issued a supplemental LOI seeking additional materials, including documents that Disney apparently omitted from its initial production. Disney subsequently requested, and received, additional time to respond. Following FCC staff review of those supplemental materials, concerns were again raised regarding the adequacy of Disney’s production, the adequacy of its response, and whether it complied with the agency’s lawful enforcement requests. Indeed, the FCC has formally notified Disney that responses to the agency’s lawful inquiries have been deficient, nonresponsive, and disingenuous. Accordingly, after more than a year of investigative activity, multiple rounds of document requests, and ongoing engagement between FCC staff and Disney representatives, the FCC’s Media Bureau issued an early renewal order pursuant to the Commission’s longstanding rules 13 and procedures.60F FCC leadership signaled for months that an early renewal order was a distinct possibility in this and other cases. Indeed, under my leadership the FCC has been more transparent about the scope of our investigative work than prior leadership. Consistent with the FCC’s Early Renewal Order, Disney filed its renewal application with the FCC’s Media Bureau on May 28, 2026. This triggers a process where interested parties will have the opportunity to file, both in support and in opposition to the application. The FCC will consider the whole record and evaluate whether to grant renewal or whether more process is called for to determine if the licensee is qualified to continue to hold its license. Throughout, the FCC has not singled out any one company for special treatment. We have been considering early license renewal as a potential investigative or enforcement step involving 12 See 47 U.S.C. § 503(b)(1)(B); see also Aura Holdings of Wisconsin, Inc., Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 3688, 3696, para. 21 (2018), forfeiture order issued, 34 FCC Rcd 2540 (2019) (imposing a $19,693 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); ABC Fulfillment Services LLC d/b/a HobbyKing USA LLC and HobbyKing.com, and Indubitably, Inc. d/b/a/ HobbyKing Corp., HobbyKing USA LLC, HobbyKing and HobbyKing.com, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 5530 (2018), aff’d, Forfeiture Order, 35 FCC Rcd 7441 (2020) (imposing a $39,278 forfeiture for failure to respond to LOI); Net One Int'l, Net One, LLC, Farrahtel Int'l, LLC, Forfeiture Order, 29 FCC Rcd 264, 267, para. 9 (EB 2014), recon. denied, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 30 FCC Rcd 1021 (EB 2015) (imposing a $25,000 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); Conexions, LLC d/b/a Conexion Wireless, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 15318, 15325, para. 22 (2013) (proposing a $300,000 forfeiture for failure to provide timely and complete responses to an LOI); Technical Commc’n Network, LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 1018, 1020, para. 8 (EB 2013) (proposing a $25,000 forfeiture for failure to provide a complete response to an LOI); SBC Commc’ns, Inc., Forfeiture Order, 17 FCC Rcd 7589, 7600, para. 28 (2002) (imposing $100,000 penalty for failing to submit a sworn written response); Quadrant Holdings LLC, Q Link Wireless LLC, & Hello Mobile LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 37 FCC Rcd 9304, 9307, para. 9 (EB 2022). 13 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026). Page 5—The Honorable Ben Ray Lujan broadcasters more generally.14 Nor is early renewal limited to Disney’s ABC stations. For example, the FCC has been investigating Bridge News, LLC, for repeated violations of the FCC’s rules. After issuing two LOIs, the FCC determined in April that the appropriate next investigative step would be to call in its licenses early for renewal.15 Additionally, the FCC’s Media Bureau concluded that a short-term license renewal made sense as an appropriate step for SPB LLC, an AM Radio license holder, following continued violations of the FCC’s online public file rule, which called into question whether the station was meetings its public interest obligations.16 I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your letter and to clarify recent FCC actions. Under my leadership, the FCC will continue working to ensure fair and even-handed treatment for all parties appearing before the agency while faithfully carrying out the FCC’s statutory obligations. Sincerely, Brendan Carr, Chairman 14 US FCC could speed up broadcast license reviews, says agency head Carr, Reuters (Mar. 16, 2026), https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/fcc-could-speed-up-broadcast-license-reviews-says-agency-head- carr-2026-03-16/. 15 See Bridge News, LLC, Order, DA 26-413 (rel. Apr. 27, 2026). 16 See SPB LLC, Order on Reconsideration, DA 26-434 (rel. May 1, 2026). FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON, DC 20554 Brendan Carr Chairman June 3, 2026 The Honorable John W. Hickenlooper United States Senate 374 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 RE: May 7, 2026, Letter to the FCC Dear Senator Hickenlooper, Thank you for your May 7, 2026, letter to the Federal Communications Commission. It provides an opportunity for me to correct the record on several misconceptions regarding the FCC’s work. Throughout the previous Administration, communications laws and FCC processes were repeatedly weaponized for political purposes. For instance, in the years prior, you and other Senate Democrats demanded that the FCC “investigate Sinclair’s news activities” after progressives expressed concern that Sinclair aired perspective to the right of theirs.1 Following your letter, the Biden FCC did not renew any or nearly any of the hundreds of routine Sinclair licenses that came up for renewal. I do not believe that has ever happened before. But that is not all. Democrats also ran a campaign to pressure cable companies into dropping what Democrats described as “Right-wing media outlets,” like Fox News, Newsmax, and OANN.2 And that campaign worked, resulting in several providers dropping one or more of those channels. During the Biden years, Democrats successfully pressured the FCC to block the sale of a Spanish-language radio station for overtly political reasons.3 During the Biden years, the FCC refused to renew hundreds of routine broadcast licenses following political pressure from Democrats in Congress.4 And the Biden FCC teed up for action a petition seeking to take away a Fox broadcast license based on content that allegedly ran on a Fox News cable channel.5 The list goes on and on, as I have detailed. 1 See Letter from Sen. Maria Cantwell to Chairman Ajit Pai, Federal Communications Commission (Apr. 11, 2018), https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/04112018%20Sinclair%20News%20Distortion%20Letter%20w%2 0Signatures.pdf. 2 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 26, 2025) (Blumenthal Letter 2025), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-410581A2.pdf. 3 Id. 4 Id. 5 Id. Page 2—The Honorable John W. Hickenlooper In contrast to the Biden years, I am focused as Chairman of the FCC on restoring the agency’s commitment to basic fairness and faithful adherence to the Congressionally enacted Communications Act. Through the diligent work of the FCC’s talented staff, the agency has been delivering great results for the American people. Internet speeds are up. Prices are down. Competition is stronger than before. And the FCC has taken bold steps to promote our national security interests. There is much more work ahead. But the U.S. is now leading the world again in next- gen technologies—including ones that will connect families that had been stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide for far too long. The FCC is also freeing up spectrum after years of inaction. And we are cutting through the red tape that has slowed down Internet builds across the country. With respect to the FCC’s work on media issues, in particular, the reporting to date has left the public with one false impression after another. So, your letter provides me with a chance to address misinformation surrounding the Disney investigation. On media policy, the FCC is administering the unique regulatory framework that Congress decided to apply to broadcasters many years ago. In doing so, the agency is working to empower local broadcast TV stations that serve diverse communities across the nation. It is important to me that local broadcast TV stations have the chance to succeed and thrive into the future. They provide the trusted sources of local news and information that so many find so important today. In many communities, they are the only sources of real reporting because misguided federal policies contributed to the hollowing out and closure of local newspapers. I want to ensure that America’s local broadcasters do not go the way of defunct local newspapers. As noted above, the reporting on the FCC’s media policies have consistently misled the American public. For instance, the media and many in public life recently fell for a hoax apparently concocted by a former late night TV host and a Democrat candidate for Senate in Texas. Specifically, the candidate, in an apparent effort to get attention and political donations, falsely indicated that the FCC or the Administration censored or otherwise prevented one of his interviews from airing on broadcast TV. That claim was and is obviously false.6 The government did not prevent any such interview from airing. Yet too many people ran with the story anyways. Your letter asks about the FCC’s media policy. For example, your letter asks specifically about the FCC’s decision to invoke the agency’s longstanding authority to call in broadcast licenses for early renewal. As I have stated on several occasions, the FCC ordered the early renewal of Disney’s ABC TV stations based on the agency’s ongoing investigation into allegations that the relevant corporate entities discriminated on the basis of race, gender, and/or other protected 6 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 06, 2026), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-420011A2.pdf. Page 3—The Honorable John W. Hickenlooper characteristics in violation of federal law.7 These are serious allegations, and this is an FCC enforcement matter that remains under consideration at the agency. As you may know, the Communications Act and longstanding Commission rules prohibit FCC- regulated entities from engaging in discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, or sex.8 The FCC’s Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) rules impose specific obligations on regulated entities, including broadcast licensees such as Disney’s ABC TV stations. The FCC has both the authority and the responsibility to ensure compliance with those obligations.9 Last year, following a series of public reports and allegations, on March 27, 2025, I asked the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau to open an investigation into whether Disney was complying with the Commission’s EEO requirements. Those reports, including ones based on whistleblower accounts and publicly available corporate initiatives, described practices that appeared to raise serious concerns under the FCC’s nondiscrimination rules. For example, public reporting indicated that Disney may have relied on race, gender, or other protected characteristics in making hiring and promotion decisions, made compensation decisions based on race, gender, or other protected characteristics, limited workplace opportunities to employees based on race, gender, or other protected characteristic, and/or made other decisions based on impermissibly discriminatory considerations.10 Other reports described affinity groups and programs that appeared to segregate employees on the basis of race or identity characteristics.11 These allegations and reports, though concerning, do not represent FCC conclusions or determinations. Disney is submitting evidence, and the FCC is reserving judgment on the issues. But given the nature of the reports implicating the kind of race-based discrimination whose prohibition has been an essential part of the federal legal system for decades, the FCC had a responsibility to determine if any of Disney’s practices implicated the Commission’s EEO rules or other applicable federal nondiscrimination requirements. The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau advanced its investigation in June of 2025 by issuing a letter of inquiry (“LOI”) to Disney. As you may know, LOIs are a standard investigative tool used by the Commission to obtain information relevant to potential violations of law or FCC rules. As the Bureau made clear in its June 5, 2025, letter of inquiry (“Initial LOI”), the action constituted an order of the FCC to produce the documents and information requested therein. Failure to fully 7 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026) (Early Renewal Order), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-416A1.pdf. 8 See, e.g., 47 U.S.C. § 151. 9 See, e.g., 47 CFR §§ 25.601, 90.168, 73.2080(a), 76.73. 10 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company (Mar. 27, 2025), https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/Carr-Letter- to-Disney-DEI-03252027.pdf. 11 Id. Page 4—The Honorable John W. Hickenlooper respond to the LOI constitutes a violation of the Communications Act and FCC rules.12 FCC staff reviewed Disney’s response to the Initial LOI and a subsequent request for additional information. FCC staff continued to have concerns about Disney’s compliance with federal antidiscrimination law following their review that took place over the course of months. Accordingly, in February 2026, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau issued a supplemental LOI seeking additional materials, including documents that Disney apparently omitted from its initial production. Disney subsequently requested, and received, additional time to respond. Following FCC staff review of those supplemental materials, concerns were again raised regarding the adequacy of Disney’s production, the adequacy of its response, and whether it complied with the agency’s lawful enforcement requests. Indeed, the FCC has formally notified Disney that responses to the agency’s lawful inquiries have been deficient, nonresponsive, and disingenuous. Accordingly, after more than a year of investigative activity, multiple rounds of document requests, and ongoing engagement between FCC staff and Disney representatives, the FCC’s Media Bureau issued an early renewal order pursuant to the Commission’s longstanding rules 13 and procedures.76F FCC leadership signaled for months that an early renewal order was a distinct possibility in this and other cases. Indeed, under my leadership the FCC has been more transparent about the scope of our investigative work than prior leadership. Consistent with the FCC’s Early Renewal Order, Disney filed its renewal application with the FCC’s Media Bureau on May 28, 2026. This triggers a process where interested parties will have the opportunity to file, both in support and in opposition to the application. The FCC will consider the whole record and evaluate whether to grant renewal or whether more process is called for to determine if the licensee is qualified to continue to hold its license. Throughout, the FCC has not singled out any one company for special treatment. We have been considering early license renewal as a potential investigative or enforcement step involving 12 See 47 U.S.C. § 503(b)(1)(B); see also Aura Holdings of Wisconsin, Inc., Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 3688, 3696, para. 21 (2018), forfeiture order issued, 34 FCC Rcd 2540 (2019) (imposing a $19,693 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); ABC Fulfillment Services LLC d/b/a HobbyKing USA LLC and HobbyKing.com, and Indubitably, Inc. d/b/a/ HobbyKing Corp., HobbyKing USA LLC, HobbyKing and HobbyKing.com, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 5530 (2018), aff’d, Forfeiture Order, 35 FCC Rcd 7441 (2020) (imposing a $39,278 forfeiture for failure to respond to LOI); Net One Int'l, Net One, LLC, Farrahtel Int'l, LLC, Forfeiture Order, 29 FCC Rcd 264, 267, para. 9 (EB 2014), recon. denied, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 30 FCC Rcd 1021 (EB 2015) (imposing a $25,000 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); Conexions, LLC d/b/a Conexion Wireless, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 15318, 15325, para. 22 (2013) (proposing a $300,000 forfeiture for failure to provide timely and complete responses to an LOI); Technical Commc’n Network, LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 1018, 1020, para. 8 (EB 2013) (proposing a $25,000 forfeiture for failure to provide a complete response to an LOI); SBC Commc’ns, Inc., Forfeiture Order, 17 FCC Rcd 7589, 7600, para. 28 (2002) (imposing $100,000 penalty for failing to submit a sworn written response); Quadrant Holdings LLC, Q Link Wireless LLC, & Hello Mobile LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 37 FCC Rcd 9304, 9307, para. 9 (EB 2022). 13 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026). Page 5—The Honorable John W. Hickenlooper broadcasters more generally.14 Nor is early renewal limited to Disney’s ABC stations. For example, the FCC has been investigating Bridge News, LLC, for repeated violations of the FCC’s rules. After issuing two LOIs, the FCC determined in April that the appropriate next investigative step would be to call in its licenses early for renewal.15 Additionally, the FCC’s Media Bureau concluded that a short-term license renewal made sense as an appropriate step for SPB LLC, an AM Radio license holder, following continued violations of the FCC’s online public file rule, which called into question whether the station was meetings its public interest obligations.16 I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your letter and to clarify recent FCC actions. Under my leadership, the FCC will continue working to ensure fair and even-handed treatment for all parties appearing before the agency while faithfully carrying out the FCC’s statutory obligations. Sincerely, Brendan Carr, Chairman 14 US FCC could speed up broadcast license reviews, says agency head Carr, Reuters (Mar. 16, 2026), https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/fcc-could-speed-up-broadcast-license-reviews-says-agency-head- carr-2026-03-16/. 15 See Bridge News, LLC, Order, DA 26-413 (rel. Apr. 27, 2026). 16 See SPB LLC, Order on Reconsideration, DA 26-434 (rel. May 1, 2026). FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON, DC 20554 Brendan Carr Chairman June 3, 2026 The Honorable Mazie K. Hirono United States Senate 109 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 RE: May 7, 2026, Letter to the FCC Dear Senator Hirono, Thank you for your May 7, 2026, letter to the Federal Communications Commission. It provides an opportunity for me to correct the record on several misconceptions regarding the FCC’s work. Throughout the previous Administration, communications laws and FCC processes were repeatedly weaponized for political purposes. For instance, in the years prior, you and other Senate Democrats demanded that the FCC “investigate Sinclair’s news activities” after progressives expressed concern that Sinclair aired perspective to the right of theirs.1 Following your letter, the Biden FCC did not renew any or nearly any of the hundreds of routine Sinclair licenses that came up for renewal. I do not believe that has ever happened before. But that is not all. Democrats also ran a campaign to pressure cable companies into dropping what Democrats described as “Right-wing media outlets,” like Fox News, Newsmax, and OANN.2 And that campaign worked, resulting in several providers dropping one or more of those channels. During the Biden years, Democrats successfully pressured the FCC to block the sale of a Spanish-language radio station for overtly political reasons.3 During the Biden years, the FCC refused to renew hundreds of routine broadcast licenses following political pressure from Democrats in Congress.4 And the Biden FCC teed up for action a petition seeking to take away a Fox broadcast license based on content that allegedly ran on a Fox News cable channel.5 The list goes on and on, as I have detailed. 1 See Letter from Sen. Maria Cantwell to Chairman Ajit Pai, Federal Communications Commission (Apr. 11, 2018), https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/04112018%20Sinclair%20News%20Distortion%20Letter%20w%2 0Signatures.pdf. 2 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 26, 2025) (Blumenthal Letter 2025), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-410581A2.pdf. 3 Id. 4 Id. 5 Id. Page 2—The Honorable Mazie K. Hirono In contrast to the Biden years, I am focused as Chairman of the FCC on restoring the agency’s commitment to basic fairness and faithful adherence to the Congressionally enacted Communications Act. Through the diligent work of the FCC’s talented staff, the agency has been delivering great results for the American people. Internet speeds are up. Prices are down. Competition is stronger than before. And the FCC has taken bold steps to promote our national security interests. There is much more work ahead. But the U.S. is now leading the world again in next- gen technologies—including ones that will connect families that had been stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide for far too long. The FCC is also freeing up spectrum after years of inaction. And we are cutting through the red tape that has slowed down Internet builds across the country. With respect to the FCC’s work on media issues, in particular, the reporting to date has left the public with one false impression after another. So, your letter provides me with a chance to address misinformation surrounding the Disney investigation. On media policy, the FCC is administering the unique regulatory framework that Congress decided to apply to broadcasters many years ago. In doing so, the agency is working to empower local broadcast TV stations that serve diverse communities across the nation. It is important to me that local broadcast TV stations have the chance to succeed and thrive into the future. They provide the trusted sources of local news and information that so many find so important today. In many communities, they are the only sources of real reporting because misguided federal policies contributed to the hollowing out and closure of local newspapers. I want to ensure that America’s local broadcasters do not go the way of defunct local newspapers. As noted above, the reporting on the FCC’s media policies have consistently misled the American public. For instance, the media and many in public life recently fell for a hoax apparently concocted by a former late night TV host and a Democrat candidate for Senate in Texas. Specifically, the candidate, in an apparent effort to get attention and political donations, falsely indicated that the FCC or the Administration censored or otherwise prevented one of his interviews from airing on broadcast TV. That claim was and is obviously false.6 The government did not prevent any such interview from airing. Yet too many people ran with the story anyways. Your letter asks about the FCC’s media policy. For example, your letter asks specifically about the FCC’s decision to invoke the agency’s longstanding authority to call in broadcast licenses for early renewal. As I have stated on several occasions, the FCC ordered the early renewal of Disney’s ABC TV stations based on the agency’s ongoing investigation into allegations that the relevant corporate entities discriminated on the basis of race, gender, and/or other protected 6 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 06, 2026), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-420011A2.pdf. Page 3—The Honorable Mazie K. Hirono characteristics in violation of federal law.7 These are serious allegations, and this is an FCC enforcement matter that remains under consideration at the agency. As you may know, the Communications Act and longstanding Commission rules prohibit FCC- regulated entities from engaging in discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, or sex.8 The FCC’s Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) rules impose specific obligations on regulated entities, including broadcast licensees such as Disney’s ABC TV stations. The FCC has both the authority and the responsibility to ensure compliance with those obligations.9 Last year, following a series of public reports and allegations, on March 27, 2025, I asked the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau to open an investigation into whether Disney was complying with the Commission’s EEO requirements. Those reports, including ones based on whistleblower accounts and publicly available corporate initiatives, described practices that appeared to raise serious concerns under the FCC’s nondiscrimination rules. For example, public reporting indicated that Disney may have relied on race, gender, or other protected characteristics in making hiring and promotion decisions, made compensation decisions based on race, gender, or other protected characteristics, limited workplace opportunities to employees based on race, gender, or other protected characteristic, and/or made other decisions based on impermissibly discriminatory considerations.10 Other reports described affinity groups and programs that appeared to segregate employees on the basis of race or identity characteristics.11 These allegations and reports, though concerning, do not represent FCC conclusions or determinations. Disney is submitting evidence, and the FCC is reserving judgment on the issues. But given the nature of the reports implicating the kind of race-based discrimination whose prohibition has been an essential part of the federal legal system for decades, the FCC had a responsibility to determine if any of Disney’s practices implicated the Commission’s EEO rules or other applicable federal nondiscrimination requirements. The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau advanced its investigation in June of 2025 by issuing a letter of inquiry (“LOI”) to Disney. As you may know, LOIs are a standard investigative tool used by the Commission to obtain information relevant to potential violations of law or FCC rules. As the Bureau made clear in its June 5, 2025, letter of inquiry (“Initial LOI”), the action constituted an order of the FCC to produce the documents and information requested therein. Failure to fully 7 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026) (Early Renewal Order), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-416A1.pdf. 8 See, e.g., 47 U.S.C. § 151. 9 See, e.g., 47 CFR §§ 25.601, 90.168, 73.2080(a), 76.73. 10 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company (Mar. 27, 2025), https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/Carr-Letter- to-Disney-DEI-03252027.pdf. 11 Id. Page 4—The Honorable Mazie K. Hirono respond to the LOI constitutes a violation of the Communications Act and FCC rules.12 FCC staff reviewed Disney’s response to the Initial LOI and a subsequent request for additional information. FCC staff continued to have concerns about Disney’s compliance with federal antidiscrimination law following their review that took place over the course of months. Accordingly, in February 2026, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau issued a supplemental LOI seeking additional materials, including documents that Disney apparently omitted from its initial production. Disney subsequently requested, and received, additional time to respond. Following FCC staff review of those supplemental materials, concerns were again raised regarding the adequacy of Disney’s production, the adequacy of its response, and whether it complied with the agency’s lawful enforcement requests. Indeed, the FCC has formally notified Disney that responses to the agency’s lawful inquiries have been deficient, nonresponsive, and disingenuous. Accordingly, after more than a year of investigative activity, multiple rounds of document requests, and ongoing engagement between FCC staff and Disney representatives, the FCC’s Media Bureau issued an early renewal order pursuant to the Commission’s longstanding rules 13 and procedures.92F FCC leadership signaled for months that an early renewal order was a distinct possibility in this and other cases. Indeed, under my leadership the FCC has been more transparent about the scope of our investigative work than prior leadership. Consistent with the FCC’s Early Renewal Order, Disney filed its renewal application with the FCC’s Media Bureau on May 28, 2026. This triggers a process where interested parties will have the opportunity to file, both in support and in opposition to the application. The FCC will consider the whole record and evaluate whether to grant renewal or whether more process is called for to determine if the licensee is qualified to continue to hold its license. Throughout, the FCC has not singled out any one company for special treatment. We have been considering early license renewal as a potential investigative or enforcement step involving 12 See 47 U.S.C. § 503(b)(1)(B); see also Aura Holdings of Wisconsin, Inc., Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 3688, 3696, para. 21 (2018), forfeiture order issued, 34 FCC Rcd 2540 (2019) (imposing a $19,693 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); ABC Fulfillment Services LLC d/b/a HobbyKing USA LLC and HobbyKing.com, and Indubitably, Inc. d/b/a/ HobbyKing Corp., HobbyKing USA LLC, HobbyKing and HobbyKing.com, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 5530 (2018), aff’d, Forfeiture Order, 35 FCC Rcd 7441 (2020) (imposing a $39,278 forfeiture for failure to respond to LOI); Net One Int'l, Net One, LLC, Farrahtel Int'l, LLC, Forfeiture Order, 29 FCC Rcd 264, 267, para. 9 (EB 2014), recon. denied, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 30 FCC Rcd 1021 (EB 2015) (imposing a $25,000 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); Conexions, LLC d/b/a Conexion Wireless, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 15318, 15325, para. 22 (2013) (proposing a $300,000 forfeiture for failure to provide timely and complete responses to an LOI); Technical Commc’n Network, LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 1018, 1020, para. 8 (EB 2013) (proposing a $25,000 forfeiture for failure to provide a complete response to an LOI); SBC Commc’ns, Inc., Forfeiture Order, 17 FCC Rcd 7589, 7600, para. 28 (2002) (imposing $100,000 penalty for failing to submit a sworn written response); Quadrant Holdings LLC, Q Link Wireless LLC, & Hello Mobile LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 37 FCC Rcd 9304, 9307, para. 9 (EB 2022). 13 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026). Page 5—The Honorable Mazie K. Hirono broadcasters more generally.14 Nor is early renewal limited to Disney’s ABC stations. For example, the FCC has been investigating Bridge News, LLC, for repeated violations of the FCC’s rules. After issuing two LOIs, the FCC determined in April that the appropriate next investigative step would be to call in its licenses early for renewal.15 Additionally, the FCC’s Media Bureau concluded that a short-term license renewal made sense as an appropriate step for SPB LLC, an AM Radio license holder, following continued violations of the FCC’s online public file rule, which called into question whether the station was meetings its public interest obligations.16 I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your letter and to clarify recent FCC actions. Under my leadership, the FCC will continue working to ensure fair and even-handed treatment for all parties appearing before the agency while faithfully carrying out the FCC’s statutory obligations. Sincerely, Brendan Carr, Chairman 14 US FCC could speed up broadcast license reviews, says agency head Carr, Reuters (Mar. 16, 2026), https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/fcc-could-speed-up-broadcast-license-reviews-says-agency-head- carr-2026-03-16/. 15 See Bridge News, LLC, Order, DA 26-413 (rel. Apr. 27, 2026). 16 See SPB LLC, Order on Reconsideration, DA 26-434 (rel. May 1, 2026). FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON, DC 20554 Brendan Carr Chairman June 3, 2026 The Honorable Jacky Rosen United States Senate 713 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 RE: May 7, 2026, Letter to the FCC Dear Senator Rosen, Thank you for your May 7, 2026, letter to the Federal Communications Commission. It provides an opportunity for me to correct the record on several misconceptions regarding the FCC’s work. Throughout the previous Administration, communications laws and FCC processes were repeatedly weaponized for political purposes. For instance, in the years prior, you and other Senate Democrats demanded that the FCC “investigate Sinclair’s news activities” after progressives expressed concern that Sinclair aired perspective to the right of theirs.1 Following your letter, the Biden FCC did not renew any or nearly any of the hundreds of routine Sinclair licenses that came up for renewal. I do not believe that has ever happened before. But that is not all. Democrats also ran a campaign to pressure cable companies into dropping what Democrats described as “Right-wing media outlets,” like Fox News, Newsmax, and OANN.2 And that campaign worked, resulting in several providers dropping one or more of those channels. During the Biden years, Democrats successfully pressured the FCC to block the sale of a Spanish-language radio station for overtly political reasons.3 During the Biden years, the FCC refused to renew hundreds of routine broadcast licenses following political pressure from Democrats in Congress.4 And the Biden FCC teed up for action a petition seeking to take away a Fox broadcast license based on content that allegedly ran on a Fox News cable channel.5 The list goes on and on, as I have detailed. 1 See Letter from Sen. Maria Cantwell to Chairman Ajit Pai, Federal Communications Commission (Apr. 11, 2018), https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/04112018%20Sinclair%20News%20Distortion%20Letter%20w%2 0Signatures.pdf. 2 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 26, 2025) (Blumenthal Letter 2025), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-410581A2.pdf. 3 Id. 4 Id. 5 Id. Page 2—The Honorable Jacky Rosen In contrast to the Biden years, I am focused as Chairman of the FCC on restoring the agency’s commitment to basic fairness and faithful adherence to the Congressionally enacted Communications Act. Through the diligent work of the FCC’s talented staff, the agency has been delivering great results for the American people. Internet speeds are up. Prices are down. Competition is stronger than before. And the FCC has taken bold steps to promote our national security interests. There is much more work ahead. But the U.S. is now leading the world again in next- gen technologies—including ones that will connect families that had been stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide for far too long. The FCC is also freeing up spectrum after years of inaction. And we are cutting through the red tape that has slowed down Internet builds across the country. With respect to the FCC’s work on media issues, in particular, the reporting to date has left the public with one false impression after another. So, your letter provides me with a chance to address misinformation surrounding the Disney investigation. On media policy, the FCC is administering the unique regulatory framework that Congress decided to apply to broadcasters many years ago. In doing so, the agency is working to empower local broadcast TV stations that serve diverse communities across the nation. It is important to me that local broadcast TV stations have the chance to succeed and thrive into the future. They provide the trusted sources of local news and information that so many find so important today. In many communities, they are the only sources of real reporting because misguided federal policies contributed to the hollowing out and closure of local newspapers. I want to ensure that America’s local broadcasters do not go the way of defunct local newspapers. As noted above, the reporting on the FCC’s media policies have consistently misled the American public. For instance, the media and many in public life recently fell for a hoax apparently concocted by a former late night TV host and a Democrat candidate for Senate in Texas. Specifically, the candidate, in an apparent effort to get attention and political donations, falsely indicated that the FCC or the Administration censored or otherwise prevented one of his interviews from airing on broadcast TV. That claim was and is obviously false.6 The government did not prevent any such interview from airing. Yet too many people ran with the story anyways. Your letter asks about the FCC’s media policy. For example, your letter asks specifically about the FCC’s decision to invoke the agency’s longstanding authority to call in broadcast licenses for early renewal. As I have stated on several occasions, the FCC ordered the early renewal of Disney’s ABC TV stations based on the agency’s ongoing investigation into allegations that the relevant corporate entities discriminated on the basis of race, gender, and/or other protected 6 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 06, 2026), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-420011A2.pdf. Page 3—The Honorable Jacky Rosen characteristics in violation of federal law.7 These are serious allegations, and this is an FCC enforcement matter that remains under consideration at the agency. As you may know, the Communications Act and longstanding Commission rules prohibit FCC- regulated entities from engaging in discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, or sex.8 The FCC’s Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) rules impose specific obligations on regulated entities, including broadcast licensees such as Disney’s ABC TV stations. The FCC has both the authority and the responsibility to ensure compliance with those obligations.9 Last year, following a series of public reports and allegations, on March 27, 2025, I asked the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau to open an investigation into whether Disney was complying with the Commission’s EEO requirements. Those reports, including ones based on whistleblower accounts and publicly available corporate initiatives, described practices that appeared to raise serious concerns under the FCC’s nondiscrimination rules. For example, public reporting indicated that Disney may have relied on race, gender, or other protected characteristics in making hiring and promotion decisions, made compensation decisions based on race, gender, or other protected characteristics, limited workplace opportunities to employees based on race, gender, or other protected characteristic, and/or made other decisions based on impermissibly discriminatory considerations.10 Other reports described affinity groups and programs that appeared to segregate employees on the basis of race or identity characteristics.11 These allegations and reports, though concerning, do not represent FCC conclusions or determinations. Disney is submitting evidence, and the FCC is reserving judgment on the issues. But given the nature of the reports implicating the kind of race-based discrimination whose prohibition has been an essential part of the federal legal system for decades, the FCC had a responsibility to determine if any of Disney’s practices implicated the Commission’s EEO rules or other applicable federal nondiscrimination requirements. The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau advanced its investigation in June of 2025 by issuing a letter of inquiry (“LOI”) to Disney. As you may know, LOIs are a standard investigative tool used by the Commission to obtain information relevant to potential violations of law or FCC rules. As the Bureau made clear in its June 5, 2025, letter of inquiry (“Initial LOI”), the action constituted an order of the FCC to produce the documents and information requested therein. Failure to fully 7 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026) (Early Renewal Order), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-416A1.pdf. 8 See, e.g., 47 U.S.C. § 151. 9 See, e.g., 47 CFR §§ 25.601, 90.168, 73.2080(a), 76.73. 10 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company (Mar. 27, 2025), https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/Carr-Letter- to-Disney-DEI-03252027.pdf. 11 Id. Page 4—The Honorable Jacky Rosen respond to the LOI constitutes a violation of the Communications Act and FCC rules.12 FCC staff reviewed Disney’s response to the Initial LOI and a subsequent request for additional information. FCC staff continued to have concerns about Disney’s compliance with federal antidiscrimination law following their review that took place over the course of months. Accordingly, in February 2026, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau issued a supplemental LOI seeking additional materials, including documents that Disney apparently omitted from its initial production. Disney subsequently requested, and received, additional time to respond. Following FCC staff review of those supplemental materials, concerns were again raised regarding the adequacy of Disney’s production, the adequacy of its response, and whether it complied with the agency’s lawful enforcement requests. Indeed, the FCC has formally notified Disney that responses to the agency’s lawful inquiries have been deficient, nonresponsive, and disingenuous. Accordingly, after more than a year of investigative activity, multiple rounds of document requests, and ongoing engagement between FCC staff and Disney representatives, the FCC’s Media Bureau issued an early renewal order pursuant to the Commission’s longstanding rules 13 and procedures.108F FCC leadership signaled for months that an early renewal order was a distinct possibility in this and other cases. Indeed, under my leadership the FCC has been more transparent about the scope of our investigative work than prior leadership. Consistent with the FCC’s Early Renewal Order, Disney filed its renewal application with the FCC’s Media Bureau on May 28, 2026. This triggers a process where interested parties will have the opportunity to file, both in support and in opposition to the application. The FCC will consider the whole record and evaluate whether to grant renewal or whether more process is called for to determine if the licensee is qualified to continue to hold its license. Throughout, the FCC has not singled out any one company for special treatment. We have been considering early license renewal as a potential investigative or enforcement step involving 12 See 47 U.S.C. § 503(b)(1)(B); see also Aura Holdings of Wisconsin, Inc., Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 3688, 3696, para. 21 (2018), forfeiture order issued, 34 FCC Rcd 2540 (2019) (imposing a $19,693 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); ABC Fulfillment Services LLC d/b/a HobbyKing USA LLC and HobbyKing.com, and Indubitably, Inc. d/b/a/ HobbyKing Corp., HobbyKing USA LLC, HobbyKing and HobbyKing.com, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 5530 (2018), aff’d, Forfeiture Order, 35 FCC Rcd 7441 (2020) (imposing a $39,278 forfeiture for failure to respond to LOI); Net One Int'l, Net One, LLC, Farrahtel Int'l, LLC, Forfeiture Order, 29 FCC Rcd 264, 267, para. 9 (EB 2014), recon. denied, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 30 FCC Rcd 1021 (EB 2015) (imposing a $25,000 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); Conexions, LLC d/b/a Conexion Wireless, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 15318, 15325, para. 22 (2013) (proposing a $300,000 forfeiture for failure to provide timely and complete responses to an LOI); Technical Commc’n Network, LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 1018, 1020, para. 8 (EB 2013) (proposing a $25,000 forfeiture for failure to provide a complete response to an LOI); SBC Commc’ns, Inc., Forfeiture Order, 17 FCC Rcd 7589, 7600, para. 28 (2002) (imposing $100,000 penalty for failing to submit a sworn written response); Quadrant Holdings LLC, Q Link Wireless LLC, & Hello Mobile LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 37 FCC Rcd 9304, 9307, para. 9 (EB 2022). 13 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026). Page 5—The Honorable Jacky Rosen broadcasters more generally.14 Nor is early renewal limited to Disney’s ABC stations. For example, the FCC has been investigating Bridge News, LLC, for repeated violations of the FCC’s rules. After issuing two LOIs, the FCC determined in April that the appropriate next investigative step would be to call in its licenses early for renewal.15 Additionally, the FCC’s Media Bureau concluded that a short-term license renewal made sense as an appropriate step for SPB LLC, an AM Radio license holder, following continued violations of the FCC’s online public file rule, which called into question whether the station was meetings its public interest obligations.16 I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your letter and to clarify recent FCC actions. Under my leadership, the FCC will continue working to ensure fair and even-handed treatment for all parties appearing before the agency while faithfully carrying out the FCC’s statutory obligations. Sincerely, Brendan Carr, Chairman 14 US FCC could speed up broadcast license reviews, says agency head Carr, Reuters (Mar. 16, 2026), https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/fcc-could-speed-up-broadcast-license-reviews-says-agency-head- carr-2026-03-16/. 15 See Bridge News, LLC, Order, DA 26-413 (rel. Apr. 27, 2026). 16 See SPB LLC, Order on Reconsideration, DA 26-434 (rel. May 1, 2026). FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON, DC 20554 Brendan Carr Chairman June 3, 2026 The Honorable Bernard Sanders United States Senate 332 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 RE: May 7, 2026, Letter to the FCC Dear Senator Sanders, Thank you for your May 7, 2026, letter to the Federal Communications Commission. It provides an opportunity for me to correct the record on several misconceptions regarding the FCC’s work. Throughout the previous Administration, communications laws and FCC processes were repeatedly weaponized for political purposes. For instance, in the years prior, you and other Senate Democrats demanded that the FCC “investigate Sinclair’s news activities” after progressives expressed concern that Sinclair aired perspective to the right of theirs.1 Following your letter, the Biden FCC did not renew any or nearly any of the hundreds of routine Sinclair licenses that came up for renewal. I do not believe that has ever happened before. But that is not all. Democrats also ran a campaign to pressure cable companies into dropping what Democrats described as “Right-wing media outlets,” like Fox News, Newsmax, and OANN.2 And that campaign worked, resulting in several providers dropping one or more of those channels. During the Biden years, Democrats successfully pressured the FCC to block the sale of a Spanish-language radio station for overtly political reasons.3 During the Biden years, the FCC refused to renew hundreds of routine broadcast licenses following political pressure from Democrats in Congress.4 And the Biden FCC teed up for action a petition seeking to take away a Fox broadcast license based on content that allegedly ran on a Fox News cable channel.5 The list goes on and on, as I have detailed. 1 See Letter from Sen. Maria Cantwell to Chairman Ajit Pai, Federal Communications Commission (Apr. 11, 2018), https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/04112018%20Sinclair%20News%20Distortion%20Letter%20w%2 0Signatures.pdf. 2 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 26, 2025) (Blumenthal Letter 2025), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-410581A2.pdf. 3 Id. 4 Id. 5 Id. Page 2—The Honorable Bernard Sanders In contrast to the Biden years, I am focused as Chairman of the FCC on restoring the agency’s commitment to basic fairness and faithful adherence to the Congressionally enacted Communications Act. Through the diligent work of the FCC’s talented staff, the agency has been delivering great results for the American people. Internet speeds are up. Prices are down. Competition is stronger than before. And the FCC has taken bold steps to promote our national security interests. There is much more work ahead. But the U.S. is now leading the world again in next- gen technologies—including ones that will connect families that had been stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide for far too long. The FCC is also freeing up spectrum after years of inaction. And we are cutting through the red tape that has slowed down Internet builds across the country. With respect to the FCC’s work on media issues, in particular, the reporting to date has left the public with one false impression after another. So, your letter provides me with a chance to address misinformation surrounding the Disney investigation. On media policy, the FCC is administering the unique regulatory framework that Congress decided to apply to broadcasters many years ago. In doing so, the agency is working to empower local broadcast TV stations that serve diverse communities across the nation. It is important to me that local broadcast TV stations have the chance to succeed and thrive into the future. They provide the trusted sources of local news and information that so many find so important today. In many communities, they are the only sources of real reporting because misguided federal policies contributed to the hollowing out and closure of local newspapers. I want to ensure that America’s local broadcasters do not go the way of defunct local newspapers. As noted above, the reporting on the FCC’s media policies have consistently misled the American public. For instance, the media and many in public life recently fell for a hoax apparently concocted by a former late night TV host and a Democrat candidate for Senate in Texas. Specifically, the candidate, in an apparent effort to get attention and political donations, falsely indicated that the FCC or the Administration censored or otherwise prevented one of his interviews from airing on broadcast TV. That claim was and is obviously false.6 The government did not prevent any such interview from airing. Yet too many people ran with the story anyways. Your letter asks about the FCC’s media policy. For example, your letter asks specifically about the FCC’s decision to invoke the agency’s longstanding authority to call in broadcast licenses for early renewal. As I have stated on several occasions, the FCC ordered the early renewal of Disney’s ABC TV stations based on the agency’s ongoing investigation into allegations that the relevant corporate entities discriminated on the basis of race, gender, and/or other protected 6 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 06, 2026), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-420011A2.pdf. Page 3—The Honorable Bernard Sanders characteristics in violation of federal law.7 These are serious allegations, and this is an FCC enforcement matter that remains under consideration at the agency. As you may know, the Communications Act and longstanding Commission rules prohibit FCC- regulated entities from engaging in discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, or sex.8 The FCC’s Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) rules impose specific obligations on regulated entities, including broadcast licensees such as Disney’s ABC TV stations. The FCC has both the authority and the responsibility to ensure compliance with those obligations.9 Last year, following a series of public reports and allegations, on March 27, 2025, I asked the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau to open an investigation into whether Disney was complying with the Commission’s EEO requirements. Those reports, including ones based on whistleblower accounts and publicly available corporate initiatives, described practices that appeared to raise serious concerns under the FCC’s nondiscrimination rules. For example, public reporting indicated that Disney may have relied on race, gender, or other protected characteristics in making hiring and promotion decisions, made compensation decisions based on race, gender, or other protected characteristics, limited workplace opportunities to employees based on race, gender, or other protected characteristic, and/or made other decisions based on impermissibly discriminatory considerations.10 Other reports described affinity groups and programs that appeared to segregate employees on the basis of race or identity characteristics.11 These allegations and reports, though concerning, do not represent FCC conclusions or determinations. Disney is submitting evidence, and the FCC is reserving judgment on the issues. But given the nature of the reports implicating the kind of race-based discrimination whose prohibition has been an essential part of the federal legal system for decades, the FCC had a responsibility to determine if any of Disney’s practices implicated the Commission’s EEO rules or other applicable federal nondiscrimination requirements. The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau advanced its investigation in June of 2025 by issuing a letter of inquiry (“LOI”) to Disney. As you may know, LOIs are a standard investigative tool used by the Commission to obtain information relevant to potential violations of law or FCC rules. As the Bureau made clear in its June 5, 2025, letter of inquiry (“Initial LOI”), the action constituted an order of the FCC to produce the documents and information requested therein. Failure to fully 7 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026) (Early Renewal Order), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-416A1.pdf. 8 See, e.g., 47 U.S.C. § 151. 9 See, e.g., 47 CFR §§ 25.601, 90.168, 73.2080(a), 76.73. 10 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company (Mar. 27, 2025), https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/Carr-Letter- to-Disney-DEI-03252027.pdf. 11 Id. Page 4—The Honorable Bernard Sanders respond to the LOI constitutes a violation of the Communications Act and FCC rules.12 FCC staff reviewed Disney’s response to the Initial LOI and a subsequent request for additional information. FCC staff continued to have concerns about Disney’s compliance with federal antidiscrimination law following their review that took place over the course of months. Accordingly, in February 2026, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau issued a supplemental LOI seeking additional materials, including documents that Disney apparently omitted from its initial production. Disney subsequently requested, and received, additional time to respond. Following FCC staff review of those supplemental materials, concerns were again raised regarding the adequacy of Disney’s production, the adequacy of its response, and whether it complied with the agency’s lawful enforcement requests. Indeed, the FCC has formally notified Disney that responses to the agency’s lawful inquiries have been deficient, nonresponsive, and disingenuous. Accordingly, after more than a year of investigative activity, multiple rounds of document requests, and ongoing engagement between FCC staff and Disney representatives, the FCC’s Media Bureau issued an early renewal order pursuant to the Commission’s longstanding rules 13 and procedures.124F FCC leadership signaled for months that an early renewal order was a distinct possibility in this and other cases. Indeed, under my leadership the FCC has been more transparent about the scope of our investigative work than prior leadership. Consistent with the FCC’s Early Renewal Order, Disney filed its renewal application with the FCC’s Media Bureau on May 28, 2026. This triggers a process where interested parties will have the opportunity to file, both in support and in opposition to the application. The FCC will consider the whole record and evaluate whether to grant renewal or whether more process is called for to determine if the licensee is qualified to continue to hold its license. Throughout, the FCC has not singled out any one company for special treatment. We have been considering early license renewal as a potential investigative or enforcement step involving 12 See 47 U.S.C. § 503(b)(1)(B); see also Aura Holdings of Wisconsin, Inc., Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 3688, 3696, para. 21 (2018), forfeiture order issued, 34 FCC Rcd 2540 (2019) (imposing a $19,693 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); ABC Fulfillment Services LLC d/b/a HobbyKing USA LLC and HobbyKing.com, and Indubitably, Inc. d/b/a/ HobbyKing Corp., HobbyKing USA LLC, HobbyKing and HobbyKing.com, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 5530 (2018), aff’d, Forfeiture Order, 35 FCC Rcd 7441 (2020) (imposing a $39,278 forfeiture for failure to respond to LOI); Net One Int'l, Net One, LLC, Farrahtel Int'l, LLC, Forfeiture Order, 29 FCC Rcd 264, 267, para. 9 (EB 2014), recon. denied, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 30 FCC Rcd 1021 (EB 2015) (imposing a $25,000 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); Conexions, LLC d/b/a Conexion Wireless, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 15318, 15325, para. 22 (2013) (proposing a $300,000 forfeiture for failure to provide timely and complete responses to an LOI); Technical Commc’n Network, LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 1018, 1020, para. 8 (EB 2013) (proposing a $25,000 forfeiture for failure to provide a complete response to an LOI); SBC Commc’ns, Inc., Forfeiture Order, 17 FCC Rcd 7589, 7600, para. 28 (2002) (imposing $100,000 penalty for failing to submit a sworn written response); Quadrant Holdings LLC, Q Link Wireless LLC, & Hello Mobile LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 37 FCC Rcd 9304, 9307, para. 9 (EB 2022). 13 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026). Page 5—The Honorable Bernard Sanders broadcasters more generally.14 Nor is early renewal limited to Disney’s ABC stations. For example, the FCC has been investigating Bridge News, LLC, for repeated violations of the FCC’s rules. After issuing two LOIs, the FCC determined in April that the appropriate next investigative step would be to call in its licenses early for renewal.15 Additionally, the FCC’s Media Bureau concluded that a short-term license renewal made sense as an appropriate step for SPB LLC, an AM Radio license holder, following continued violations of the FCC’s online public file rule, which called into question whether the station was meetings its public interest obligations.16 I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your letter and to clarify recent FCC actions. Under my leadership, the FCC will continue working to ensure fair and even-handed treatment for all parties appearing before the agency while faithfully carrying out the FCC’s statutory obligations. Sincerely, Brendan Carr, Chairman 14 US FCC could speed up broadcast license reviews, says agency head Carr, Reuters (Mar. 16, 2026), https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/fcc-could-speed-up-broadcast-license-reviews-says-agency-head- carr-2026-03-16/. 15 See Bridge News, LLC, Order, DA 26-413 (rel. Apr. 27, 2026). 16 See SPB LLC, Order on Reconsideration, DA 26-434 (rel. May 1, 2026). FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON, DC 20554 Brendan Carr Chairman June 3, 2026 The Honorable Brian Schatz United States Senate 722 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 RE: May 7, 2026, Letter to the FCC Dear Senator Schatz, Thank you for your May 7, 2026, letter to the Federal Communications Commission. It provides an opportunity for me to correct the record on several misconceptions regarding the FCC’s work. Throughout the previous Administration, communications laws and FCC processes were repeatedly weaponized for political purposes. For instance, in the years prior, you and other Senate Democrats demanded that the FCC “investigate Sinclair’s news activities” after progressives expressed concern that Sinclair aired perspective to the right of theirs.1 Following your letter, the Biden FCC did not renew any or nearly any of the hundreds of routine Sinclair licenses that came up for renewal. I do not believe that has ever happened before. But that is not all. Democrats also ran a campaign to pressure cable companies into dropping what Democrats described as “Right-wing media outlets,” like Fox News, Newsmax, and OANN.2 And that campaign worked, resulting in several providers dropping one or more of those channels. During the Biden years, Democrats successfully pressured the FCC to block the sale of a Spanish-language radio station for overtly political reasons.3 During the Biden years, the FCC refused to renew hundreds of routine broadcast licenses following political pressure from Democrats in Congress.4 And the Biden FCC teed up for action a petition seeking to take away a Fox broadcast license based on content that allegedly ran on a Fox News cable channel.5 The list goes on and on, as I have detailed. 1 See Letter from Sen. Maria Cantwell to Chairman Ajit Pai, Federal Communications Commission (Apr. 11, 2018), https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/04112018%20Sinclair%20News%20Distortion%20Letter%20w%2 0Signatures.pdf. 2 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 26, 2025) (Blumenthal Letter 2025), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-410581A2.pdf. 3 Id. 4 Id. 5 Id. Page 2—The Honorable Brian Schatz In contrast to the Biden years, I am focused as Chairman of the FCC on restoring the agency’s commitment to basic fairness and faithful adherence to the Congressionally enacted Communications Act. Through the diligent work of the FCC’s talented staff, the agency has been delivering great results for the American people. Internet speeds are up. Prices are down. Competition is stronger than before. And the FCC has taken bold steps to promote our national security interests. There is much more work ahead. But the U.S. is now leading the world again in next- gen technologies—including ones that will connect families that had been stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide for far too long. The FCC is also freeing up spectrum after years of inaction. And we are cutting through the red tape that has slowed down Internet builds across the country. With respect to the FCC’s work on media issues, in particular, the reporting to date has left the public with one false impression after another. So, your letter provides me with a chance to address misinformation surrounding the Disney investigation. On media policy, the FCC is administering the unique regulatory framework that Congress decided to apply to broadcasters many years ago. In doing so, the agency is working to empower local broadcast TV stations that serve diverse communities across the nation. It is important to me that local broadcast TV stations have the chance to succeed and thrive into the future. They provide the trusted sources of local news and information that so many find so important today. In many communities, they are the only sources of real reporting because misguided federal policies contributed to the hollowing out and closure of local newspapers. I want to ensure that America’s local broadcasters do not go the way of defunct local newspapers. As noted above, the reporting on the FCC’s media policies have consistently misled the American public. For instance, the media and many in public life recently fell for a hoax apparently concocted by a former late night TV host and a Democrat candidate for Senate in Texas. Specifically, the candidate, in an apparent effort to get attention and political donations, falsely indicated that the FCC or the Administration censored or otherwise prevented one of his interviews from airing on broadcast TV. That claim was and is obviously false.6 The government did not prevent any such interview from airing. Yet too many people ran with the story anyways. Your letter asks about the FCC’s media policy. For example, your letter asks specifically about the FCC’s decision to invoke the agency’s longstanding authority to call in broadcast licenses for early renewal. As I have stated on several occasions, the FCC ordered the early renewal of Disney’s ABC TV stations based on the agency’s ongoing investigation into allegations that the relevant corporate entities discriminated on the basis of race, gender, and/or other protected 6 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 06, 2026), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-420011A2.pdf. Page 3—The Honorable Brian Schatz characteristics in violation of federal law.7 These are serious allegations, and this is an FCC enforcement matter that remains under consideration at the agency. As you may know, the Communications Act and longstanding Commission rules prohibit FCC- regulated entities from engaging in discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, or sex.8 The FCC’s Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) rules impose specific obligations on regulated entities, including broadcast licensees such as Disney’s ABC TV stations. The FCC has both the authority and the responsibility to ensure compliance with those obligations.9 Last year, following a series of public reports and allegations, on March 27, 2025, I asked the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau to open an investigation into whether Disney was complying with the Commission’s EEO requirements. Those reports, including ones based on whistleblower accounts and publicly available corporate initiatives, described practices that appeared to raise serious concerns under the FCC’s nondiscrimination rules. For example, public reporting indicated that Disney may have relied on race, gender, or other protected characteristics in making hiring and promotion decisions, made compensation decisions based on race, gender, or other protected characteristics, limited workplace opportunities to employees based on race, gender, or other protected characteristic, and/or made other decisions based on impermissibly discriminatory considerations.10 Other reports described affinity groups and programs that appeared to segregate employees on the basis of race or identity characteristics.11 These allegations and reports, though concerning, do not represent FCC conclusions or determinations. Disney is submitting evidence, and the FCC is reserving judgment on the issues. But given the nature of the reports implicating the kind of race-based discrimination whose prohibition has been an essential part of the federal legal system for decades, the FCC had a responsibility to determine if any of Disney’s practices implicated the Commission’s EEO rules or other applicable federal nondiscrimination requirements. The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau advanced its investigation in June of 2025 by issuing a letter of inquiry (“LOI”) to Disney. As you may know, LOIs are a standard investigative tool used by the Commission to obtain information relevant to potential violations of law or FCC rules. As the Bureau made clear in its June 5, 2025, letter of inquiry (“Initial LOI”), the action constituted an order of the FCC to produce the documents and information requested therein. Failure to fully 7 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026) (Early Renewal Order), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-416A1.pdf. 8 See, e.g., 47 U.S.C. § 151. 9 See, e.g., 47 CFR §§ 25.601, 90.168, 73.2080(a), 76.73. 10 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company (Mar. 27, 2025), https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/Carr-Letter- to-Disney-DEI-03252027.pdf. 11 Id. Page 4—The Honorable Brian Schatz respond to the LOI constitutes a violation of the Communications Act and FCC rules.12 FCC staff reviewed Disney’s response to the Initial LOI and a subsequent request for additional information. FCC staff continued to have concerns about Disney’s compliance with federal antidiscrimination law following their review that took place over the course of months. Accordingly, in February 2026, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau issued a supplemental LOI seeking additional materials, including documents that Disney apparently omitted from its initial production. Disney subsequently requested, and received, additional time to respond. Following FCC staff review of those supplemental materials, concerns were again raised regarding the adequacy of Disney’s production, the adequacy of its response, and whether it complied with the agency’s lawful enforcement requests. Indeed, the FCC has formally notified Disney that responses to the agency’s lawful inquiries have been deficient, nonresponsive, and disingenuous. Accordingly, after more than a year of investigative activity, multiple rounds of document requests, and ongoing engagement between FCC staff and Disney representatives, the FCC’s Media Bureau issued an early renewal order pursuant to the Commission’s longstanding rules 13 and procedures.140F FCC leadership signaled for months that an early renewal order was a distinct possibility in this and other cases. Indeed, under my leadership the FCC has been more transparent about the scope of our investigative work than prior leadership. Consistent with the FCC’s Early Renewal Order, Disney filed its renewal application with the FCC’s Media Bureau on May 28, 2026. This triggers a process where interested parties will have the opportunity to file, both in support and in opposition to the application. The FCC will consider the whole record and evaluate whether to grant renewal or whether more process is called for to determine if the licensee is qualified to continue to hold its license. Throughout, the FCC has not singled out any one company for special treatment. We have been considering early license renewal as a potential investigative or enforcement step involving 12 See 47 U.S.C. § 503(b)(1)(B); see also Aura Holdings of Wisconsin, Inc., Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 3688, 3696, para. 21 (2018), forfeiture order issued, 34 FCC Rcd 2540 (2019) (imposing a $19,693 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); ABC Fulfillment Services LLC d/b/a HobbyKing USA LLC and HobbyKing.com, and Indubitably, Inc. d/b/a/ HobbyKing Corp., HobbyKing USA LLC, HobbyKing and HobbyKing.com, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 5530 (2018), aff’d, Forfeiture Order, 35 FCC Rcd 7441 (2020) (imposing a $39,278 forfeiture for failure to respond to LOI); Net One Int'l, Net One, LLC, Farrahtel Int'l, LLC, Forfeiture Order, 29 FCC Rcd 264, 267, para. 9 (EB 2014), recon. denied, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 30 FCC Rcd 1021 (EB 2015) (imposing a $25,000 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); Conexions, LLC d/b/a Conexion Wireless, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 15318, 15325, para. 22 (2013) (proposing a $300,000 forfeiture for failure to provide timely and complete responses to an LOI); Technical Commc’n Network, LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 1018, 1020, para. 8 (EB 2013) (proposing a $25,000 forfeiture for failure to provide a complete response to an LOI); SBC Commc’ns, Inc., Forfeiture Order, 17 FCC Rcd 7589, 7600, para. 28 (2002) (imposing $100,000 penalty for failing to submit a sworn written response); Quadrant Holdings LLC, Q Link Wireless LLC, & Hello Mobile LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 37 FCC Rcd 9304, 9307, para. 9 (EB 2022). 13 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026). Page 5—The Honorable Brian Schatz broadcasters more generally.14 Nor is early renewal limited to Disney’s ABC stations. For example, the FCC has been investigating Bridge News, LLC, for repeated violations of the FCC’s rules. After issuing two LOIs, the FCC determined in April that the appropriate next investigative step would be to call in its licenses early for renewal.15 Additionally, the FCC’s Media Bureau concluded that a short-term license renewal made sense as an appropriate step for SPB LLC, an AM Radio license holder, following continued violations of the FCC’s online public file rule, which called into question whether the station was meetings its public interest obligations.16 I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your letter and to clarify recent FCC actions. Under my leadership, the FCC will continue working to ensure fair and even-handed treatment for all parties appearing before the agency while faithfully carrying out the FCC’s statutory obligations. Sincerely, Brendan Carr, Chairman 14 US FCC could speed up broadcast license reviews, says agency head Carr, Reuters (Mar. 16, 2026), https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/fcc-could-speed-up-broadcast-license-reviews-says-agency-head- carr-2026-03-16/. 15 See Bridge News, LLC, Order, DA 26-413 (rel. Apr. 27, 2026). 16 See SPB LLC, Order on Reconsideration, DA 26-434 (rel. May 1, 2026). FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON, DC 20554 Brendan Carr Chairman June 3, 2026 The Honorable Adam B. Schiff United States Senate 112 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 RE: May 7, 2026, Letter to the FCC Dear Senator Schiff, Thank you for your May 7, 2026, letter to the Federal Communications Commission. It provides an opportunity for me to correct the record on several misconceptions regarding the FCC’s work. Throughout the previous Administration, communications laws and FCC processes were repeatedly weaponized for political purposes. For instance, in the years prior, you and other Senate Democrats demanded that the FCC “investigate Sinclair’s news activities” after progressives expressed concern that Sinclair aired perspective to the right of theirs.1 Following your letter, the Biden FCC did not renew any or nearly any of the hundreds of routine Sinclair licenses that came up for renewal. I do not believe that has ever happened before. But that is not all. Democrats also ran a campaign to pressure cable companies into dropping what Democrats described as “Right-wing media outlets,” like Fox News, Newsmax, and OANN.2 And that campaign worked, resulting in several providers dropping one or more of those channels. During the Biden years, Democrats successfully pressured the FCC to block the sale of a Spanish-language radio station for overtly political reasons.3 During the Biden years, the FCC refused to renew hundreds of routine broadcast licenses following political pressure from Democrats in Congress.4 And the Biden FCC teed up for action a petition seeking to take away a Fox broadcast license based on content that allegedly ran on a Fox News cable channel.5 The list goes on and on, as I have detailed. 1 See Letter from Sen. Maria Cantwell to Chairman Ajit Pai, Federal Communications Commission (Apr. 11, 2018), https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/04112018%20Sinclair%20News%20Distortion%20Letter%20w%2 0Signatures.pdf. 2 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 26, 2025) (Blumenthal Letter 2025), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-410581A2.pdf. 3 Id. 4 Id. 5 Id. Page 2—The Honorable Adam B. Schiff In contrast to the Biden years, I am focused as Chairman of the FCC on restoring the agency’s commitment to basic fairness and faithful adherence to the Congressionally enacted Communications Act. Through the diligent work of the FCC’s talented staff, the agency has been delivering great results for the American people. Internet speeds are up. Prices are down. Competition is stronger than before. And the FCC has taken bold steps to promote our national security interests. There is much more work ahead. But the U.S. is now leading the world again in next- gen technologies—including ones that will connect families that had been stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide for far too long. The FCC is also freeing up spectrum after years of inaction. And we are cutting through the red tape that has slowed down Internet builds across the country. With respect to the FCC’s work on media issues, in particular, the reporting to date has left the public with one false impression after another. So, your letter provides me with a chance to address misinformation surrounding the Disney investigation. On media policy, the FCC is administering the unique regulatory framework that Congress decided to apply to broadcasters many years ago. In doing so, the agency is working to empower local broadcast TV stations that serve diverse communities across the nation. It is important to me that local broadcast TV stations have the chance to succeed and thrive into the future. They provide the trusted sources of local news and information that so many find so important today. In many communities, they are the only sources of real reporting because misguided federal policies contributed to the hollowing out and closure of local newspapers. I want to ensure that America’s local broadcasters do not go the way of defunct local newspapers. As noted above, the reporting on the FCC’s media policies have consistently misled the American public. For instance, the media and many in public life recently fell for a hoax apparently concocted by a former late night TV host and a Democrat candidate for Senate in Texas. Specifically, the candidate, in an apparent effort to get attention and political donations, falsely indicated that the FCC or the Administration censored or otherwise prevented one of his interviews from airing on broadcast TV. That claim was and is obviously false.6 The government did not prevent any such interview from airing. Yet too many people ran with the story anyways. Your letter asks about the FCC’s media policy. For example, your letter asks specifically about the FCC’s decision to invoke the agency’s longstanding authority to call in broadcast licenses for early renewal. As I have stated on several occasions, the FCC ordered the early renewal of Disney’s ABC TV stations based on the agency’s ongoing investigation into allegations that the relevant corporate entities discriminated on the basis of race, gender, and/or other protected 6 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 06, 2026), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-420011A2.pdf. Page 3—The Honorable Adam B. Schiff characteristics in violation of federal law.7 These are serious allegations, and this is an FCC enforcement matter that remains under consideration at the agency. As you may know, the Communications Act and longstanding Commission rules prohibit FCC- regulated entities from engaging in discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, or sex.8 The FCC’s Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) rules impose specific obligations on regulated entities, including broadcast licensees such as Disney’s ABC TV stations. The FCC has both the authority and the responsibility to ensure compliance with those obligations.9 Last year, following a series of public reports and allegations, on March 27, 2025, I asked the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau to open an investigation into whether Disney was complying with the Commission’s EEO requirements. Those reports, including ones based on whistleblower accounts and publicly available corporate initiatives, described practices that appeared to raise serious concerns under the FCC’s nondiscrimination rules. For example, public reporting indicated that Disney may have relied on race, gender, or other protected characteristics in making hiring and promotion decisions, made compensation decisions based on race, gender, or other protected characteristics, limited workplace opportunities to employees based on race, gender, or other protected characteristic, and/or made other decisions based on impermissibly discriminatory considerations.10 Other reports described affinity groups and programs that appeared to segregate employees on the basis of race or identity characteristics.11 These allegations and reports, though concerning, do not represent FCC conclusions or determinations. Disney is submitting evidence, and the FCC is reserving judgment on the issues. But given the nature of the reports implicating the kind of race-based discrimination whose prohibition has been an essential part of the federal legal system for decades, the FCC had a responsibility to determine if any of Disney’s practices implicated the Commission’s EEO rules or other applicable federal nondiscrimination requirements. The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau advanced its investigation in June of 2025 by issuing a letter of inquiry (“LOI”) to Disney. As you may know, LOIs are a standard investigative tool used by the Commission to obtain information relevant to potential violations of law or FCC rules. As the Bureau made clear in its June 5, 2025, letter of inquiry (“Initial LOI”), the action constituted an order of the FCC to produce the documents and information requested therein. Failure to fully 7 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026) (Early Renewal Order), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-416A1.pdf. 8 See, e.g., 47 U.S.C. § 151. 9 See, e.g., 47 CFR §§ 25.601, 90.168, 73.2080(a), 76.73. 10 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company (Mar. 27, 2025), https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/Carr-Letter- to-Disney-DEI-03252027.pdf. 11 Id. Page 4—The Honorable Adam B. Schiff respond to the LOI constitutes a violation of the Communications Act and FCC rules.12 FCC staff reviewed Disney’s response to the Initial LOI and a subsequent request for additional information. FCC staff continued to have concerns about Disney’s compliance with federal antidiscrimination law following their review that took place over the course of months. Accordingly, in February 2026, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau issued a supplemental LOI seeking additional materials, including documents that Disney apparently omitted from its initial production. Disney subsequently requested, and received, additional time to respond. Following FCC staff review of those supplemental materials, concerns were again raised regarding the adequacy of Disney’s production, the adequacy of its response, and whether it complied with the agency’s lawful enforcement requests. Indeed, the FCC has formally notified Disney that responses to the agency’s lawful inquiries have been deficient, nonresponsive, and disingenuous. Accordingly, after more than a year of investigative activity, multiple rounds of document requests, and ongoing engagement between FCC staff and Disney representatives, the FCC’s Media Bureau issued an early renewal order pursuant to the Commission’s longstanding rules 13 and procedures.156F FCC leadership signaled for months that an early renewal order was a distinct possibility in this and other cases. Indeed, under my leadership the FCC has been more transparent about the scope of our investigative work than prior leadership. Consistent with the FCC’s Early Renewal Order, Disney filed its renewal application with the FCC’s Media Bureau on May 28, 2026. This triggers a process where interested parties will have the opportunity to file, both in support and in opposition to the application. The FCC will consider the whole record and evaluate whether to grant renewal or whether more process is called for to determine if the licensee is qualified to continue to hold its license. Throughout, the FCC has not singled out any one company for special treatment. We have been considering early license renewal as a potential investigative or enforcement step involving 12 See 47 U.S.C. § 503(b)(1)(B); see also Aura Holdings of Wisconsin, Inc., Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 3688, 3696, para. 21 (2018), forfeiture order issued, 34 FCC Rcd 2540 (2019) (imposing a $19,693 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); ABC Fulfillment Services LLC d/b/a HobbyKing USA LLC and HobbyKing.com, and Indubitably, Inc. d/b/a/ HobbyKing Corp., HobbyKing USA LLC, HobbyKing and HobbyKing.com, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 5530 (2018), aff’d, Forfeiture Order, 35 FCC Rcd 7441 (2020) (imposing a $39,278 forfeiture for failure to respond to LOI); Net One Int'l, Net One, LLC, Farrahtel Int'l, LLC, Forfeiture Order, 29 FCC Rcd 264, 267, para. 9 (EB 2014), recon. denied, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 30 FCC Rcd 1021 (EB 2015) (imposing a $25,000 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); Conexions, LLC d/b/a Conexion Wireless, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 15318, 15325, para. 22 (2013) (proposing a $300,000 forfeiture for failure to provide timely and complete responses to an LOI); Technical Commc’n Network, LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 1018, 1020, para. 8 (EB 2013) (proposing a $25,000 forfeiture for failure to provide a complete response to an LOI); SBC Commc’ns, Inc., Forfeiture Order, 17 FCC Rcd 7589, 7600, para. 28 (2002) (imposing $100,000 penalty for failing to submit a sworn written response); Quadrant Holdings LLC, Q Link Wireless LLC, & Hello Mobile LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 37 FCC Rcd 9304, 9307, para. 9 (EB 2022). 13 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026). Page 5—The Honorable Adam B. Schiff broadcasters more generally.14 Nor is early renewal limited to Disney’s ABC stations. For example, the FCC has been investigating Bridge News, LLC, for repeated violations of the FCC’s rules. After issuing two LOIs, the FCC determined in April that the appropriate next investigative step would be to call in its licenses early for renewal.15 Additionally, the FCC’s Media Bureau concluded that a short-term license renewal made sense as an appropriate step for SPB LLC, an AM Radio license holder, following continued violations of the FCC’s online public file rule, which called into question whether the station was meetings its public interest obligations.16 I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your letter and to clarify recent FCC actions. Under my leadership, the FCC will continue working to ensure fair and even-handed treatment for all parties appearing before the agency while faithfully carrying out the FCC’s statutory obligations. Sincerely, Brendan Carr, Chairman 14 US FCC could speed up broadcast license reviews, says agency head Carr, Reuters (Mar. 16, 2026), https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/fcc-could-speed-up-broadcast-license-reviews-says-agency-head- carr-2026-03-16/. 15 See Bridge News, LLC, Order, DA 26-413 (rel. Apr. 27, 2026). 16 See SPB LLC, Order on Reconsideration, DA 26-434 (rel. May 1, 2026). FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON, DC 20554 Brendan Carr Chairman June 3, 2026 The Honorable Chris Van Hollen United States Senate 730 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 RE: May 7, 2026, Letter to the FCC Dear Senator Van Hollen, Thank you for your May 7, 2026, letter to the Federal Communications Commission. It provides an opportunity for me to correct the record on several misconceptions regarding the FCC’s work. Throughout the previous Administration, communications laws and FCC processes were repeatedly weaponized for political purposes. For instance, in the years prior, you and other Senate Democrats demanded that the FCC “investigate Sinclair’s news activities” after progressives expressed concern that Sinclair aired perspective to the right of theirs.1 Following your letter, the Biden FCC did not renew any or nearly any of the hundreds of routine Sinclair licenses that came up for renewal. I do not believe that has ever happened before. But that is not all. Democrats also ran a campaign to pressure cable companies into dropping what Democrats described as “Right-wing media outlets,” like Fox News, Newsmax, and OANN.2 And that campaign worked, resulting in several providers dropping one or more of those channels. During the Biden years, Democrats successfully pressured the FCC to block the sale of a Spanish-language radio station for overtly political reasons.3 During the Biden years, the FCC refused to renew hundreds of routine broadcast licenses following political pressure from Democrats in Congress.4 And the Biden FCC teed up for action a petition seeking to take away a Fox broadcast license based on content that allegedly ran on a Fox News cable channel.5 The list goes on and on, as I have detailed. 1 See Letter from Sen. Maria Cantwell to Chairman Ajit Pai, Federal Communications Commission (Apr. 11, 2018), https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/04112018%20Sinclair%20News%20Distortion%20Letter%20w%2 0Signatures.pdf. 2 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 26, 2025) (Blumenthal Letter 2025), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-410581A2.pdf. 3 Id. 4 Id. 5 Id. Page 2—The Honorable Chris Van Hollen In contrast to the Biden years, I am focused as Chairman of the FCC on restoring the agency’s commitment to basic fairness and faithful adherence to the Congressionally enacted Communications Act. Through the diligent work of the FCC’s talented staff, the agency has been delivering great results for the American people. Internet speeds are up. Prices are down. Competition is stronger than before. And the FCC has taken bold steps to promote our national security interests. There is much more work ahead. But the U.S. is now leading the world again in next- gen technologies—including ones that will connect families that had been stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide for far too long. The FCC is also freeing up spectrum after years of inaction. And we are cutting through the red tape that has slowed down Internet builds across the country. With respect to the FCC’s work on media issues, in particular, the reporting to date has left the public with one false impression after another. So, your letter provides me with a chance to address misinformation surrounding the Disney investigation. On media policy, the FCC is administering the unique regulatory framework that Congress decided to apply to broadcasters many years ago. In doing so, the agency is working to empower local broadcast TV stations that serve diverse communities across the nation. It is important to me that local broadcast TV stations have the chance to succeed and thrive into the future. They provide the trusted sources of local news and information that so many find so important today. In many communities, they are the only sources of real reporting because misguided federal policies contributed to the hollowing out and closure of local newspapers. I want to ensure that America’s local broadcasters do not go the way of defunct local newspapers. As noted above, the reporting on the FCC’s media policies have consistently misled the American public. For instance, the media and many in public life recently fell for a hoax apparently concocted by a former late night TV host and a Democrat candidate for Senate in Texas. Specifically, the candidate, in an apparent effort to get attention and political donations, falsely indicated that the FCC or the Administration censored or otherwise prevented one of his interviews from airing on broadcast TV. That claim was and is obviously false.6 The government did not prevent any such interview from airing. Yet too many people ran with the story anyways. Your letter asks about the FCC’s media policy. For example, your letter asks specifically about the FCC’s decision to invoke the agency’s longstanding authority to call in broadcast licenses for early renewal. As I have stated on several occasions, the FCC ordered the early renewal of Disney’s ABC TV stations based on the agency’s ongoing investigation into allegations that the relevant corporate entities discriminated on the basis of race, gender, and/or other protected 6 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 06, 2026), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-420011A2.pdf. Page 3—The Honorable Chris Van Hollen characteristics in violation of federal law.7 These are serious allegations, and this is an FCC enforcement matter that remains under consideration at the agency. As you may know, the Communications Act and longstanding Commission rules prohibit FCC- regulated entities from engaging in discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, or sex.8 The FCC’s Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) rules impose specific obligations on regulated entities, including broadcast licensees such as Disney’s ABC TV stations. The FCC has both the authority and the responsibility to ensure compliance with those obligations.9 Last year, following a series of public reports and allegations, on March 27, 2025, I asked the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau to open an investigation into whether Disney was complying with the Commission’s EEO requirements. Those reports, including ones based on whistleblower accounts and publicly available corporate initiatives, described practices that appeared to raise serious concerns under the FCC’s nondiscrimination rules. For example, public reporting indicated that Disney may have relied on race, gender, or other protected characteristics in making hiring and promotion decisions, made compensation decisions based on race, gender, or other protected characteristics, limited workplace opportunities to employees based on race, gender, or other protected characteristic, and/or made other decisions based on impermissibly discriminatory considerations.10 Other reports described affinity groups and programs that appeared to segregate employees on the basis of race or identity characteristics.11 These allegations and reports, though concerning, do not represent FCC conclusions or determinations. Disney is submitting evidence, and the FCC is reserving judgment on the issues. But given the nature of the reports implicating the kind of race-based discrimination whose prohibition has been an essential part of the federal legal system for decades, the FCC had a responsibility to determine if any of Disney’s practices implicated the Commission’s EEO rules or other applicable federal nondiscrimination requirements. The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau advanced its investigation in June of 2025 by issuing a letter of inquiry (“LOI”) to Disney. As you may know, LOIs are a standard investigative tool used by the Commission to obtain information relevant to potential violations of law or FCC rules. As the Bureau made clear in its June 5, 2025, letter of inquiry (“Initial LOI”), the action constituted an order of the FCC to produce the documents and information requested therein. Failure to fully 7 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026) (Early Renewal Order), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-416A1.pdf. 8 See, e.g., 47 U.S.C. § 151. 9 See, e.g., 47 CFR §§ 25.601, 90.168, 73.2080(a), 76.73. 10 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company (Mar. 27, 2025), https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/Carr-Letter- to-Disney-DEI-03252027.pdf. 11 Id. Page 4—The Honorable Chris Van Hollen respond to the LOI constitutes a violation of the Communications Act and FCC rules.12 FCC staff reviewed Disney’s response to the Initial LOI and a subsequent request for additional information. FCC staff continued to have concerns about Disney’s compliance with federal antidiscrimination law following their review that took place over the course of months. Accordingly, in February 2026, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau issued a supplemental LOI seeking additional materials, including documents that Disney apparently omitted from its initial production. Disney subsequently requested, and received, additional time to respond. Following FCC staff review of those supplemental materials, concerns were again raised regarding the adequacy of Disney’s production, the adequacy of its response, and whether it complied with the agency’s lawful enforcement requests. Indeed, the FCC has formally notified Disney that responses to the agency’s lawful inquiries have been deficient, nonresponsive, and disingenuous. Accordingly, after more than a year of investigative activity, multiple rounds of document requests, and ongoing engagement between FCC staff and Disney representatives, the FCC’s Media Bureau issued an early renewal order pursuant to the Commission’s longstanding rules 13 and procedures.172F FCC leadership signaled for months that an early renewal order was a distinct possibility in this and other cases. Indeed, under my leadership the FCC has been more transparent about the scope of our investigative work than prior leadership. Consistent with the FCC’s Early Renewal Order, Disney filed its renewal application with the FCC’s Media Bureau on May 28, 2026. This triggers a process where interested parties will have the opportunity to file, both in support and in opposition to the application. The FCC will consider the whole record and evaluate whether to grant renewal or whether more process is called for to determine if the licensee is qualified to continue to hold its license. Throughout, the FCC has not singled out any one company for special treatment. We have been considering early license renewal as a potential investigative or enforcement step involving 12 See 47 U.S.C. § 503(b)(1)(B); see also Aura Holdings of Wisconsin, Inc., Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 3688, 3696, para. 21 (2018), forfeiture order issued, 34 FCC Rcd 2540 (2019) (imposing a $19,693 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); ABC Fulfillment Services LLC d/b/a HobbyKing USA LLC and HobbyKing.com, and Indubitably, Inc. d/b/a/ HobbyKing Corp., HobbyKing USA LLC, HobbyKing and HobbyKing.com, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 5530 (2018), aff’d, Forfeiture Order, 35 FCC Rcd 7441 (2020) (imposing a $39,278 forfeiture for failure to respond to LOI); Net One Int'l, Net One, LLC, Farrahtel Int'l, LLC, Forfeiture Order, 29 FCC Rcd 264, 267, para. 9 (EB 2014), recon. denied, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 30 FCC Rcd 1021 (EB 2015) (imposing a $25,000 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); Conexions, LLC d/b/a Conexion Wireless, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 15318, 15325, para. 22 (2013) (proposing a $300,000 forfeiture for failure to provide timely and complete responses to an LOI); Technical Commc’n Network, LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 1018, 1020, para. 8 (EB 2013) (proposing a $25,000 forfeiture for failure to provide a complete response to an LOI); SBC Commc’ns, Inc., Forfeiture Order, 17 FCC Rcd 7589, 7600, para. 28 (2002) (imposing $100,000 penalty for failing to submit a sworn written response); Quadrant Holdings LLC, Q Link Wireless LLC, & Hello Mobile LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 37 FCC Rcd 9304, 9307, para. 9 (EB 2022). 13 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026). Page 5—The Honorable Chris Van Hollen broadcasters more generally.14 Nor is early renewal limited to Disney’s ABC stations. For example, the FCC has been investigating Bridge News, LLC, for repeated violations of the FCC’s rules. After issuing two LOIs, the FCC determined in April that the appropriate next investigative step would be to call in its licenses early for renewal.15 Additionally, the FCC’s Media Bureau concluded that a short-term license renewal made sense as an appropriate step for SPB LLC, an AM Radio license holder, following continued violations of the FCC’s online public file rule, which called into question whether the station was meetings its public interest obligations.16 I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your letter and to clarify recent FCC actions. Under my leadership, the FCC will continue working to ensure fair and even-handed treatment for all parties appearing before the agency while faithfully carrying out the FCC’s statutory obligations. Sincerely, Brendan Carr, Chairman 14 US FCC could speed up broadcast license reviews, says agency head Carr, Reuters (Mar. 16, 2026), https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/fcc-could-speed-up-broadcast-license-reviews-says-agency-head- carr-2026-03-16/. 15 See Bridge News, LLC, Order, DA 26-413 (rel. Apr. 27, 2026). 16 See SPB LLC, Order on Reconsideration, DA 26-434 (rel. May 1, 2026). FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON, DC 20554 Brendan Carr Chairman June 3, 2026 The Honorable Elizabeth Warren United States Senate 309 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 RE: May 7, 2026, Letter to the FCC Dear Senator Warren, Thank you for your May 7, 2026, letter to the Federal Communications Commission. It provides an opportunity for me to correct the record on several misconceptions regarding the FCC’s work. Throughout the previous Administration, communications laws and FCC processes were repeatedly weaponized for political purposes. For instance, in the years prior, you and other Senate Democrats demanded that the FCC “investigate Sinclair’s news activities” after progressives expressed concern that Sinclair aired perspective to the right of theirs.1 Following your letter, the Biden FCC did not renew any or nearly any of the hundreds of routine Sinclair licenses that came up for renewal. I do not believe that has ever happened before. But that is not all. Democrats also ran a campaign to pressure cable companies into dropping what Democrats described as “Right-wing media outlets,” like Fox News, Newsmax, and OANN.2 And that campaign worked, resulting in several providers dropping one or more of those channels. During the Biden years, Democrats successfully pressured the FCC to block the sale of a Spanish-language radio station for overtly political reasons.3 During the Biden years, the FCC refused to renew hundreds of routine broadcast licenses following political pressure from Democrats in Congress.4 And the Biden FCC teed up for action a petition seeking to take away a Fox broadcast license based on content that allegedly ran on a Fox News cable channel.5 The list goes on and on, as I have detailed. 1 See Letter from Sen. Maria Cantwell to Chairman Ajit Pai, Federal Communications Commission (Apr. 11, 2018), https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/04112018%20Sinclair%20News%20Distortion%20Letter%20w%2 0Signatures.pdf. 2 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 26, 2025) (Blumenthal Letter 2025), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-410581A2.pdf. 3 Id. 4 Id. 5 Id. Page 2—The Honorable Elizabeth Warren In contrast to the Biden years, I am focused as Chairman of the FCC on restoring the agency’s commitment to basic fairness and faithful adherence to the Congressionally enacted Communications Act. Through the diligent work of the FCC’s talented staff, the agency has been delivering great results for the American people. Internet speeds are up. Prices are down. Competition is stronger than before. And the FCC has taken bold steps to promote our national security interests. There is much more work ahead. But the U.S. is now leading the world again in next- gen technologies—including ones that will connect families that had been stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide for far too long. The FCC is also freeing up spectrum after years of inaction. And we are cutting through the red tape that has slowed down Internet builds across the country. With respect to the FCC’s work on media issues, in particular, the reporting to date has left the public with one false impression after another. So, your letter provides me with a chance to address misinformation surrounding the Disney investigation. On media policy, the FCC is administering the unique regulatory framework that Congress decided to apply to broadcasters many years ago. In doing so, the agency is working to empower local broadcast TV stations that serve diverse communities across the nation. It is important to me that local broadcast TV stations have the chance to succeed and thrive into the future. They provide the trusted sources of local news and information that so many find so important today. In many communities, they are the only sources of real reporting because misguided federal policies contributed to the hollowing out and closure of local newspapers. I want to ensure that America’s local broadcasters do not go the way of defunct local newspapers. As noted above, the reporting on the FCC’s media policies have consistently misled the American public. For instance, the media and many in public life recently fell for a hoax apparently concocted by a former late night TV host and a Democrat candidate for Senate in Texas. Specifically, the candidate, in an apparent effort to get attention and political donations, falsely indicated that the FCC or the Administration censored or otherwise prevented one of his interviews from airing on broadcast TV. That claim was and is obviously false.6 The government did not prevent any such interview from airing. Yet too many people ran with the story anyways. Your letter asks about the FCC’s media policy. For example, your letter asks specifically about the FCC’s decision to invoke the agency’s longstanding authority to call in broadcast licenses for early renewal. As I have stated on several occasions, the FCC ordered the early renewal of Disney’s ABC TV stations based on the agency’s ongoing investigation into allegations that the relevant corporate entities discriminated on the basis of race, gender, and/or other protected 6 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Mar. 06, 2026), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-420011A2.pdf. Page 3—The Honorable Elizabeth Warren characteristics in violation of federal law.7 These are serious allegations, and this is an FCC enforcement matter that remains under consideration at the agency. As you may know, the Communications Act and longstanding Commission rules prohibit FCC- regulated entities from engaging in discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, or sex.8 The FCC’s Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) rules impose specific obligations on regulated entities, including broadcast licensees such as Disney’s ABC TV stations. The FCC has both the authority and the responsibility to ensure compliance with those obligations.9 Last year, following a series of public reports and allegations, on March 27, 2025, I asked the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau to open an investigation into whether Disney was complying with the Commission’s EEO requirements. Those reports, including ones based on whistleblower accounts and publicly available corporate initiatives, described practices that appeared to raise serious concerns under the FCC’s nondiscrimination rules. For example, public reporting indicated that Disney may have relied on race, gender, or other protected characteristics in making hiring and promotion decisions, made compensation decisions based on race, gender, or other protected characteristics, limited workplace opportunities to employees based on race, gender, or other protected characteristic, and/or made other decisions based on impermissibly discriminatory considerations.10 Other reports described affinity groups and programs that appeared to segregate employees on the basis of race or identity characteristics.11 These allegations and reports, though concerning, do not represent FCC conclusions or determinations. Disney is submitting evidence, and the FCC is reserving judgment on the issues. But given the nature of the reports implicating the kind of race-based discrimination whose prohibition has been an essential part of the federal legal system for decades, the FCC had a responsibility to determine if any of Disney’s practices implicated the Commission’s EEO rules or other applicable federal nondiscrimination requirements. The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau advanced its investigation in June of 2025 by issuing a letter of inquiry (“LOI”) to Disney. As you may know, LOIs are a standard investigative tool used by the Commission to obtain information relevant to potential violations of law or FCC rules. As the Bureau made clear in its June 5, 2025, letter of inquiry (“Initial LOI”), the action constituted an order of the FCC to produce the documents and information requested therein. Failure to fully 7 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026) (Early Renewal Order), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-416A1.pdf. 8 See, e.g., 47 U.S.C. § 151. 9 See, e.g., 47 CFR §§ 25.601, 90.168, 73.2080(a), 76.73. 10 See Letter from Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission to Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company (Mar. 27, 2025), https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/Carr-Letter- to-Disney-DEI-03252027.pdf. 11 Id. Page 4—The Honorable Elizabeth Warren respond to the LOI constitutes a violation of the Communications Act and FCC rules.12 FCC staff reviewed Disney’s response to the Initial LOI and a subsequent request for additional information. FCC staff continued to have concerns about Disney’s compliance with federal antidiscrimination law following their review that took place over the course of months. Accordingly, in February 2026, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau issued a supplemental LOI seeking additional materials, including documents that Disney apparently omitted from its initial production. Disney subsequently requested, and received, additional time to respond. Following FCC staff review of those supplemental materials, concerns were again raised regarding the adequacy of Disney’s production, the adequacy of its response, and whether it complied with the agency’s lawful enforcement requests. Indeed, the FCC has formally notified Disney that responses to the agency’s lawful inquiries have been deficient, nonresponsive, and disingenuous. Accordingly, after more than a year of investigative activity, multiple rounds of document requests, and ongoing engagement between FCC staff and Disney representatives, the FCC’s Media Bureau issued an early renewal order pursuant to the Commission’s longstanding rules 13 and procedures.188F FCC leadership signaled for months that an early renewal order was a distinct possibility in this and other cases. Indeed, under my leadership the FCC has been more transparent about the scope of our investigative work than prior leadership. Consistent with the FCC’s Early Renewal Order, Disney filed its renewal application with the FCC’s Media Bureau on May 28, 2026. This triggers a process where interested parties will have the opportunity to file, both in support and in opposition to the application. The FCC will consider the whole record and evaluate whether to grant renewal or whether more process is called for to determine if the licensee is qualified to continue to hold its license. Throughout, the FCC has not singled out any one company for special treatment. We have been considering early license renewal as a potential investigative or enforcement step involving 12 See 47 U.S.C. § 503(b)(1)(B); see also Aura Holdings of Wisconsin, Inc., Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 3688, 3696, para. 21 (2018), forfeiture order issued, 34 FCC Rcd 2540 (2019) (imposing a $19,693 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); ABC Fulfillment Services LLC d/b/a HobbyKing USA LLC and HobbyKing.com, and Indubitably, Inc. d/b/a/ HobbyKing Corp., HobbyKing USA LLC, HobbyKing and HobbyKing.com, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 33 FCC Rcd 5530 (2018), aff’d, Forfeiture Order, 35 FCC Rcd 7441 (2020) (imposing a $39,278 forfeiture for failure to respond to LOI); Net One Int'l, Net One, LLC, Farrahtel Int'l, LLC, Forfeiture Order, 29 FCC Rcd 264, 267, para. 9 (EB 2014), recon. denied, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 30 FCC Rcd 1021 (EB 2015) (imposing a $25,000 penalty for failure to respond to LOI); Conexions, LLC d/b/a Conexion Wireless, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 15318, 15325, para. 22 (2013) (proposing a $300,000 forfeiture for failure to provide timely and complete responses to an LOI); Technical Commc’n Network, LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 1018, 1020, para. 8 (EB 2013) (proposing a $25,000 forfeiture for failure to provide a complete response to an LOI); SBC Commc’ns, Inc., Forfeiture Order, 17 FCC Rcd 7589, 7600, para. 28 (2002) (imposing $100,000 penalty for failing to submit a sworn written response); Quadrant Holdings LLC, Q Link Wireless LLC, & Hello Mobile LLC, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 37 FCC Rcd 9304, 9307, para. 9 (EB 2022). 13 See The Walt Disney Co., Order, DA 26-416 (MB rel. Apr. 28, 2026). Page 5—The Honorable Elizabeth Warren broadcasters more generally.14 Nor is early renewal limited to Disney’s ABC stations. For example, the FCC has been investigating Bridge News, LLC, for repeated violations of the FCC’s rules. After issuing two LOIs, the FCC determined in April that the appropriate next investigative step would be to call in its licenses early for renewal.15 Additionally, the FCC’s Media Bureau concluded that a short-term license renewal made sense as an appropriate step for SPB LLC, an AM Radio license holder, following continued violations of the FCC’s online public file rule, which called into question whether the station was meetings its public interest obligations.16 I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your letter and to clarify recent FCC actions. Under my leadership, the FCC will continue working to ensure fair and even-handed treatment for all parties appearing before the agency while faithfully carrying out the FCC’s statutory obligations. Sincerely, Brendan Carr, Chairman 14 US FCC could speed up broadcast license reviews, says agency head Carr, Reuters (Mar. 16, 2026), https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/fcc-could-speed-up-broadcast-license-reviews-says-agency-head- carr-2026-03-16/. 15 See Bridge News, LLC, Order, DA 26-413 (rel. Apr. 27, 2026). 16 See SPB LLC, Order on Reconsideration, DA 26-434 (rel. May 1, 2026).