In a move that has raised eyebrows among conservatives, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is set to brief the Republican Study Committee on what he describes as an "unprecedented" maneuver by billionaire George Soros to acquire over 200 Audacy radio stations.
This development has sparked concerns about the influence of foreign investment and the potential bypassing of established regulatory procedures.
As reported by Breitbart, the FCC, under Democratic leadership, approved a controversial license deal that effectively hands control of these stations to Soros. The stations in question span 40 media markets, and the approval process has been criticized for allegedly circumventing the usual national security review, which typically extends over a year. This expedited process has drawn significant scrutiny, particularly from those who advocate for stringent regulatory oversight to safeguard national interests.
Carr, who has been vocal in his opposition, stated last September, "The Commissions decision today is unprecedented. Never before has the Commission voted to approve the transfer of a broadcast licenselet alone the transfer of broadcast licenses for over 200 radio stations across more than 40 marketswithout following the requirements and procedures codified in federal law." He further emphasized the lack of public consultation and the absence of input from other federal agencies with a stake in national security and policy matters.
Federal regulations mandate that applicants with substantial foreign ownership must file a petition for declaratory ruling concurrently with their FCC license transfer applications. This process is designed to allow Executive Branch agencies to assess the implications of foreign investment on national security. Carr pointedly questioned whether the necessary approvals were obtained, stating, "Did they obtain approval from the FCC for their excessive foreign ownership? No, they did not."
FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington also weighed in, highlighting the inconsistency in the Commission's approach. He remarked, "a Commission eager to fast-track a billion dollar broadcast media reorganization, disregarding foreign ownership concerns, is the same Commission that has gone back to the well several times to impose and re-impose foreign sponsorship identification rules on our smallest independent broadcast license holders every time they place local church content on the air."
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