FCC chair says broadcast networks could violate regulatory obligations by airing 'fake polls'
DIS•FCC Chair Brendan Carr said U.S. broadcast networks could violate regulatory obligations by airing polls he called “entirely fake” or designed to suppress voters, but did not identify any polls. Commissioner Anna Gomez said broadcasters should not be punished for reporting publicly available polling data in good faith.
1. Carr raises regulatory concerns
Carr said on X that a surge in polls ahead of November’s midterm elections was designed to interfere with the electoral process and alter voter turnout and enthusiasm. He provided no evidence or details about which polls he meant, and suggested airing them could violate the FCC’s news distortion rules.
2. Commissioner disputes approach
Gomez said pollsters who intentionally mislead the public should answer for it, but broadcasters reporting publicly available polling data in good faith should not be punished when a poll is wrong. She said an incorrect poll would not, by itself, fit the news distortion policy. The FCC says news distortion must involve a significant event, and deliberate distortion of factual reporting can expose broadcasters to penalties.
3. Political context
Trump has repeatedly rejected polls and called on Carr to punish journalists. The article cites a Reuters/Ipsos poll that found 31% of Americans approved of Trump’s performance, down one percentage point from two weeks earlier and the lowest level in either of his presidential terms. Carr previously ordered an early license review for Disney-owned ABC stations, and the FCC said talk shows were no longer exempt from equal-time rules for candidate interviews.
