Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr is slated to testify before the Senate Commerce Committee next month, following bipartisan criticism stemming from his recent involvement in the temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show earlier this year, according to Euronews.
Carr faced criticism after he said that U.S. broadcasters might get more attention from the FCC if they did not take action against Kimmel. This approach made many furious, while Sen. Ted Cruz, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee supervising the FCC, called his comments a threat to free speech. Carr, on his part, denied putting any pressure on networks to cancel the show.
Kimmel’s show was off the air for about a week. Even though President Donald Trump publicly praised the suspension, lawmakers from both parties criticized it. As a result, ABC brought the show back after many people spoke out and some viewers reportedly started canceling their Disney streaming subscriptions.
Carr has reportedly agreed to appear before the panel in November, but the hearing date has yet to be announced.
