Senate Democrats press top media regulator Brendan Carr to back off ABC
A group of prominent Senate Democrats sent a letter on Thursday to Brendan Carr, the Trump-aligned Federal Communications Commission chair, asking him to rescind the US media regulator’s order last week requiring ABC to apply early to renew its television licenses,The eight ABC-owned station licenses were not originally up for renewal until 2028 at the earliest and 2031 at the latest; now, the renewal requests must be filed by the end of May,Although Carr told reporters that the early license renewal request stemmed from an ongoing investigation into the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts of ABC’s parent company, Disney, the announcement came just a day after the president and his wife called on the network to fire Jimmy Kimmel, the late-night comedian, for a poorly timed joke,The letter called the early renewal demand an “extraordinary abuse of power” and an “unconstitutional abuse of the Commission’s powers”,“The campaign against Disney and its editorial decision-making, culminating in last week’s early-renewal order, is an egregious abuse of power and a clear violation of the First Amendment,” lawmakers state in the letter led by Senators Edward J Markey, Chuck Schumer, Maria Cantwell and Ben Ray Luján.
Eight other senators also signed the letter.“Although the FCC has the authority to ensure broadcasters operate in the public interest, it cannot serve as President Trump’s roving censor, threatening to revoke licenses against broadcasters whose editorial content – including a comedian’s jokes – displeases the President.”The senators accused Carr of using the FCC’s licensing authority as “a cudgel against broadcasters whose editorial choices displease the President”.The FCC has two other open investigations into ABC, including one based on a 2024 complaint about the network’s moderation of a presidential debate and a more recent inquiry into whether The View, the ABC show, violated equal time rules when it hosted James Talarico, a Senate candidate.The letter includes a series of questions to Carr, with a request that they be answered by 21 May.
The senators asked Carr to “describe the timing and process” used by the FCC to determine that ABC should be forced to apply early for license renewal, and whether FCC lawyers reviewed the order.The letter also asks Carr whether he or his staff communicated with the White House in the days before the order was issued.At an FCC meeting last week, Carr denied that there was any external pressure.“This was a decision that we made inside this building based on where we were in the enforcement matter,” he said.“There was no pressure from the outside.
There was no suggestion from the outside,There was no call for agency action from the outside,”In addition, the senators asked whether the FCC considered any less aggressive steps before issuing the order last week, considering the nearly unprecedented nature of the demand,
Jimmy Kimmel on Trump: ‘His list of threats is now longer than Kash Patel’s bar tab’
Late-night hosts discussed the Trump administration’s confusing messaging about the war in Iran and why fruit-flavoured vapes have suddenly become a Republican priority.On Jimmy Kimmel Live! the host spoke about the conflict in Iran and how the strait of Hormuz is still to be reopened.While Trump claims that the US is close to a deal, Kimmel said it was “still very much in flux, as in what the flux are we doing over there?”Trump has been issuing more threats this week, which led Kimmel to joke that “his list of threats is now longer than Kash Patel’s bar tab”.It’s meant that gas prices are still sky high, with California experiencing the highest in the country.This week will also see Marco Rubio being sent to “make nice” with the pope including asking him “why God didn’t answer his prayers for smaller ears”
Arthur Miller opens up about marriage to Marilyn Monroe in newly unearthed recordings
He was one of the greatest playwrights of the 20th century and she was one of the greatest actors. In newly unearthed recordings made over a period of nearly three decades, Arthur Miller opened up about his short-lived marriage to Marilyn Monroe, saying she wanted a husband who was a “father, lover, friend and agent,” and the child she longed for would have been an “additional problem”.In taped conversations with his friend and biographer Prof Christopher Bigsby, Miller said he had felt “death was always on her [Monroe’s] shoulder – always”. He had believed that if he did not “take care of her life” she would come to a “catastrophic end”.“One time I brought doctors to pump her out because she had swallowed enough stuff [drugs] to kill her,” he said
Jimmy Kimmel on Trump’s ballroom: ‘What can you say? The man loves to dance’
On late night’s Cinco de Mayo edition, hosts focused on the ballooning cost of Donald Trump’s new White House ballroom, the return of the presidential fitness test and a fast-food employee who allegedly fired a gun at a customer for helping themselves to free soda.After touching on Monday night’s Met Gala, Jimmy Kimmel wondered if the glamorous event could have a home next year in Trump’s new White House ballroom.“Originally he said it was cost $200m, and it would be financed by private donors,” Kimmel said. “Then the price tag doubled to $400m, which he said would still be paid for by private donors. Then yesterday, Republicans in the Senate pushed a bill that was allocate a billion dollars of taxpayer money to to go towards this project
In the 60s and 70s, Black students demanded a voice on radio. A new project ensures that history isn’t lost
The HBCU Radio Preservation Project celebrates stations that were an outgrowth of the civil rights movement, to help people understand their importanceAfter Shaw University’s WSHA radio station went on air in 1968, several other historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) followed the North Carolina school’s lead, launching a wave of their own.For decades, the students who worked on these channels used them to inform listeners about happenings on campus, while also playing musical selections and offering cultural programming. In doing so, the radio stations at HBCUs became pivotal resources for both the campus and the surrounding community.But the landscape of university-based media is changing. Today, of the more than 100 HBCUs across the country, about 30 have radio stations
Seth Meyers on Trump’s poll ratings: ‘His disapproval is higher than Covid and January 6’
On Monday night, late-night hosts weighed in on Donald Trump’s erratic statements on Iran, rising oil prices and the shuttering of every budget-conscious traveller’s favorite low-cost airline.Seth Meyers opened his Monday night monologue with news of a new poll finding that Americans are overwhelmingly opposed to the Iran war and Trump’s plan to peacefully guide oil tankers through the strait of Hormuz.“Oh wait, I’m getting word that the administration has unveiled a new name for the mission,” the host joked. “Let’s see, what is it called: Operation Clusterfuck.”Meyers then reacted to a new Ipsos poll which showed Trump’s disapproval ratings at a record 62%, in large part due to gas prices rising $1
‘We got a drive-by egging in Baltimore’: Super Furry Animals on making The Man Don’t Give a Fuck
Gruff was the first person I ever met who could just churn out songs – good, catchy ones. I joined his band Ffa Coffi Pawb, but by 1992 they’d split and Gruff and I were living in Cardiff, as were Bunf, Guto and my brother Cian, the other future Furries. We started out doing techno sets, and I had a little home studio where we demoed ideas for songs. Our first singer, the actor Rhys Ifans, slept on a mattress in the corner.I had this Steely Dan album, Countdown to Ecstasy
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