Brendan Carr

Rule Changes

FCC won a Supreme Court stay Oct. 14; its application for review remains pending

The Supreme Court let political parties and joint fundraising committees keep discounted TV and radio ad rates through the Nov. 3 midterms. A 7-2 unsigned ruling on Oct. 14 stayed a Fourth Circuit order that had given the Federal Communications Commission 48 hours to decide a Democratic challenge.

Updated Oct 23

Rule Changes

As of August 2026: Calling Disney's lawsuit 'meritless' while the license review continues

A federal agency can pull the license a TV station needs to broadcast. On August 18, ABC, its parent Walt Disney, and eight ABC-owned stations sued the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to stop it from using that power against them.

Updated Aug 19

Money Moves

As of May 2026: Oversaw bureau-level approval of the merger

For two decades, federal law has barred any single company from owning television stations that reach more than 39% of American households. On March 20, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) waived that rule for the first time, clearing Nexstar Media Group's $6.2 billion acquisition of rival broadcaster Tegna. The combined company now owns 265 stations in 44 states, reaching roughly 80% of U.S. TV households — more than double the legal cap.

Updated May 30

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Led the FCC action adding foreign drones to Covered List

For nearly a decade, Chinese drone manufacturer DJI dominated the U.S. drone market with 70 to 90 percent share, used by hobbyists, farmers, real estate agents, and 90 percent of first responders with drone programs. On December 23, 2025, the Federal Communications Commission added all foreign-made drones and critical components to its Covered List, blocking any new models from receiving the equipment authorization required for U.S. sale.

Updated May 26

Money Moves

As of May 2026: Will rule on spectrum transfer

A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral on Sunday morning carrying replacement satellites Globalstar needs to keep its mobile network alive. The same launch ticks off one of the conditions Amazon set before paying about $10.7 billion to buy the company.

Updated May 17

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Driving a more enforcement-forward FCC posture on robocalls and network access

The FCC's robocall fight just hit the part where the referees stop warning and start pulling players off the field. As of December 15, 2025, U.S. voice providers are required to block calls that claim to originate from numbers that should never place outbound calls.

Updated May 15

New Capabilities

As of March 2026: Overseeing the foreign drone ban and defending it against DJI's legal challenge

DJI controls roughly 77% of the American consumer drone market. On December 22, 2025, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) blocked all new foreign-made drones from receiving the radio-frequency authorization required for legal US sale.

Updated Mar 26