A push by congressional Democrats to block the sale of a Spanish-language Florida radio station to conservative owners would effectively turn the Federal Communications Commission into an “arm” of the Democratic National Committee, the senior Republican on the commission warned.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr blasted the congressional Democrats’ attempt to pressure the commission into blocking the sale of a Spanish-speaking radio station in Miami, Florida, saying the move was politically-based in a statement released Tuesday.
He also warned the move by the Democrats crosses a constitutional line and would weaponize the FCC for the DNC.
“Democrats in Congress are pressuring the FCC to block the sale of a radio station based on the political viewpoints it would broadcast to South Florida’s Hispanic community,” Carr wrote in a tweet accompanying the release. “This crosses a clear line drawn by the First Amendment and would turn the FCC into an arm of the DNC.”
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In his statement, Carr said the FCC had “no business doing the Democrats’ bidding or using our regulatory process to censor political opinions that Democrats do not like.”
Carr also torched the congressional Democrats for trying to pressure the FCC into taking action they think will increase their odds of winning elections in the Sunshine State.
“This is a deeply troubling transgression of free speech and the FCC’s status as an independent agency,” wrote Carr, who called on his fellow FCC colleagues to join him in “publicly rejecting this attempt to inject partisan politics into our licensing process.”
“Doing so would go a long way in assuring the public that the FCC will review this proposed transaction free from political pressure and according to our long-standing rules and precedents.”
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Last week, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus put pressure on the FCC to pull the plug on the potential acquisition of the popular local, Spanish-speaking radio station Caracol 1260 AM by America CV. America CV’s parent company, America TeVé, is a conservative-owned company.
“Enough is enough. We can no longer allow conservative media to lead Spanish-language misinformation campaigns on Florida’s Latino communities,” Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., said on Twitter last week. “It’s time for the FCC to intervene. This dangerous rhetoric can’t go unchecked.”