"[Brendan] Carr can't justify his actions ... because the FCC meddling in broadcasters' content is illegal too," the foundation's director of advocacy says

When the FCC approved the Paramount-Skydance merger Thursday, one commissioner blasted the decision, calling it an act of “ cowardly capitulation ” on behalf of Paramount and warning that this could lead to a further “erosion of our First Amendment protections.”

Chairman Brendan Carr thinks his agency should strive to ensure that news coverage is fair and balanced—a role precluded by the First Amendment.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr was asked to respond to criticisms of the Trump administration's intervention in the free press.

Skydance has emphasized that the commitments are voluntary. Previously, Skydance and Paramount had argued against conditions imposed by the FCC to mandate benchmarks for viewpoint neutrality, saying that they would be “squarely foreclosed by the First Amendment and Supreme Court precedent.”

She said it was "a deal that was linked to a payout to settle a baseless lawsuit and other troubling concessions"