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Trump backs FCC chair’s threat to pull licenses of news outlets over Iran war coverage

US president on social media said he was ‘thrilled’ that Brendan Carr was looking into broadcasters’ licenses Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Donald Trump reinforced… Grouped from 7 articles across 5 sources.

7 reports5 sourcesMar 16, 2026, 1:41 PM
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Clustered coverageCNBC, NBC News, New York Times, The Globe and Mail, The Guardian
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The GuardianMar 16, 2026, 1:41 PM

Trump backs FCC chair’s threat to pull licenses of news outlets over Iran war coverage

US president on social media said he was ‘thrilled’ that Brendan Carr was looking into broadcasters’ licenses Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Donald Trump reinforced comments made by Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), threatening the broadcast licenses of news organizations that report unfavorably on the war in Iran. In a Truth Social post Sunday night, Trump said he was “thrilled” that Carr was “looking at the licenses of some of these Corrupt and Highly Unpatriotic ‘News’ Organizations. They get Billions of Dollars of FREE American Airwaves, and use it to perpetuate LIES …”. Continue reading...

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NBC NewsMar 15, 2026, 3:58 AM

FCC chair threatens to revoke broadcast licenses amid Trump comments on Iran coverage

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr on Saturday renewed his criticism and threats against broadcasters over their content, this time with President Donald Trump’s criticism of Iran war reporting as the backdrop

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The GuardianMar 15, 2026, 7:13 PM

Republican rebukes FCC chair’s threats to revoke broadcast licenses over Iran war

Senator Ron Johnson pushes back, saying he’s not in favor of government meddling in freedom of speech The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair, Brendan Carr, is facing pushback from a Republican lawmaker after warning on Saturday that broadcasters could lose their licenses if they run what the federal agency deems “fake news” over the Iran conflict. Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said in an interview on the Sunday Briefing on Fox News that he was not in favor of the government control of private enterprise or efforts to meddle with freedom of speech protected under the constitution. Continue reading...

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The GuardianMar 14, 2026, 9:12 PM

FCC chair threatens to throttle news broadcasts over ‘hoaxes’ about Iran war

Brendan Carr posts that he may cancel spectrum permits of ‘mainstream news’ outlets for ‘misleading’ coverage The Trump administration ’s communications licensing tsar fired a warning shot over the US broadcasting industry Saturday, threatening to cancel the spectrum permits of broadcasters pushing what he termed “hoaxes and news distortions”. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr posted on social media that broadcasters running “fake news – have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up. The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not.” Continue reading...

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New York TimesMar 15, 2026, 1:17 AM

F.C.C. Chair Threatens to Revoke Broadcasters’ Licenses Over War Coverage

The comment from Brendan Carr came on the heels of a social media message from President Trump criticizing the news media’s coverage of the war with Iran.

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The Globe and MailMar 15, 2026, 1:23 PM

U.S. FCC Chairman warns broadcasters not to air ‘fake news’ after Trump complains about war coverage

Brendan Carr renewed threats against broadcasters and threatened some could lose licenses at renewals due to content not in ‘public interest’

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CNBCMar 14, 2026, 10:30 PM

FCC chair slams broadcasters after Trump disputes reports on Iran-damaged U.S. tankers

FCC Chair Brendan Carr blasted broadcasters shortly after President Donald Trump called reports that Iran struck five U.S. tanker planes "fake news."

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