FCC Chair Brendan Carr is pushing back against claims that he is threatening broadcasters over unfavorable election polling, insisting the agency is only reminding stations of their legal obligations when reporting on fabricated polls. Commissioner Anna Gomez, meanwhile, says the warning itself risks intimidating broadcasters into self-censorship, even as neither commissioner identified a specific station that has violated FCC rules.
The dispute resurfaced Thursday (Oct. 29) as Carr and Gomez separately fielded questions from reporters following the FCC’s monthly meeting, just days before the midterm elections.
Carr defended his recent warning about broadcasters airing potentially fabricated political polls, saying the FCC is concerned about what he described as an increase in entirely fake surveys during this election cycle. He cited polling operations including Wedgewood Polls and Meridian Strategies, saying politicians from both parties have raised concerns about the impact of fabricated polls on fundraising and campaigns.
But when pressed for examples of broadcasters actually airing the questionable polls, Carr acknowledged none were on the FCC’s radar.
Gomez emphasized that simply reporting a poll that later proves inaccurate or fabricated would not, by itself, constitute a violation. She also said she was unaware of any broadcasters whose election polling coverage warranted an FCC investigation.
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