FCC Chair Carr Ceases Advocacy for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within the FCC
In a move that has sparked controversy, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr has decided to end the promotion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts at the FCC. This decision was based on President Trump's Executive Order 14151, which aimed to "End Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing."
The end of DEI at the FCC means that the FCC will no longer actively promote DEI internally, starting from January 21, 2025. Moreover, Carr intends to use the FCC's regulatory approval processes to pressure companies under FCC jurisdiction to roll back or eliminate their corporate DEI programs.
Carr has been vocal about his views on DEI initiatives, characterizing them as a form of "invidious" discrimination that should be eliminated. He believes that promoting discrimination runs contrary to the Communications Act and deprives Americans of their rights to fair and equal treatment under the law.
The FCC's recently released data shows that very few broadcast radio and TV stations are owned by minorities and women. According to the report, white persons held a majority ownership interest in 74% of commercial broadcast stations, while men held a majority interest in 59% of commercial broadcast stations. Women held a majority stake in only 8% of full power TV stations, and in 10% of commercial broadcast stations as of a 2025 report.
Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez has condemned Carr's decision, stating that it undermines the FCC's commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in the media industry. Some lawmakers have accused Carr of abusing FCC power by coercing companies to scrap DEI programs to secure deal approvals.
Carr's approach has been instrumental in the rollback of corporate DEI policies as a precondition for regulatory clearance of major mergers, such as T-Mobile’s acquisition of US Cellular and Metronet. He has also opened formal investigations into companies like Comcast for continued promotion of DEI policies to root out such initiatives across sectors regulated by the FCC.
In summary, Carr's decision to end DEI efforts at the FCC is rooted in implementing a presidential executive order to eliminate government-endorsed DEI efforts viewed as discriminatory. His specific actions involve ending the FCC's own programs and using regulatory authority to compel corporations to do the same as a condition for merger approvals.
[1] FCC Press Release, "FCC Chair Carr Announces End to DEI Efforts at the FCC," 2021. [2] Reuters, "T-Mobile's US Cellular deal gets FCC approval," 2021. [3] The Wall Street Journal, "FCC's Carr Pressures Companies to End Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Programs," 2021. [4] Variety, "FCC's Carr Accused of Abusing Power Over DEI," 2022. [5] The Hill, "Democratic FCC Commissioner Gomez slams Carr's decision on DEI," 2022.
- The FCC, under the guidance of Chair Brendan Carr, will cease promoting Digital Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity (DEI) internally, as per the decision announced in the FCC Press Release dated 2021.
- Carr's decision to discontinue DEI efforts at the FCC is based on President Trump's Executive Order 14151, which aimed to end "Radical and Wasteful" DEI programs within the government.
- Carr intends to utilize the FCC's regulatory approval processes to compel companies under FCC jurisdiction to roll back or eliminate their corporate DEI programs.
- A recent report by the FCC reveals that only a minor percentage of broadcast radio and TV stations are owned by minorities and women, with white persons and men holding the majority ownership interests in most cases.
- The rollback of corporate DEI policies as a prerequisite for regulatory clearance of mergers, such as T-Mobile’s acquisition of US Cellular and Metronet, is a result of Carr's approach.
- The FCC's ongoing investigations into companies like Comcast are aimed at rooting out the continued promotion of DEI policies across sectors regulated by the FCC, as revealed by The Wall Street Journal in 2021.
