FCC launches probe into DEI policies at one of corporate media’s largest strongholds

The Trump-Vance administration’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is launching a probe into Comcast over its policies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr wrote a letter on Tuesday to Comcast CEO Brian Roberts announcing that the regulator would be investigating Comcast to ensure that it is not promoting unfair forms of discrimination through its DEI efforts. Carr stated in the letter that he was “concerned” that Comcast may be “promoting invidious forms of DEI in a manner that does not comply with FCC regulations.”

“As you know, the Communications Act and Commission rules prohibit regulated entities—like Comcast and NBCUniversal—from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, or gender,” Carr wrote in the letter. “Indeed, the FCC’s longstanding Equal Employment Opportunity or EEO rules set forth specific requirements that both Comcast and NBCUniversal must adhere to.”

“Nonetheless, I am concerned that Comcast and NBCUniversal may be promoting invidious forms of DEI in a manner that does not comply with FCC regulations,” Carr wrote. Carr also stated in the letter that at his “direction,” the FCC “has already taken action to end its own promotion of DEI.”

President Donald Trump announced his pick to head the FCC in November, praising Carr in a post on Truth Social for being “a warrior for Free Speech” who has “fought against the regulatory Lawfare that has stifled Americans’ Freedoms, and held back our Economy.” Under Carr’s leadership, the FCC released the full video footage of a CBS “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris on Feb. 5 following months of controversy amid allegations of the network distorting the interview.

“President Trump is leading America away from the scourge of invidious DEI discrimination and ensuring that everyone in this country has a fair shot at succeeding,” Carr told Fox News on Wednesday. “Discriminatory DEI programs cannot be squared with this country’s civil rights laws and following President Trump’s leadership the FCC will ensure that every company we regulate ends illegal DEI programs.”

Trump has made several moves to uproot DEI in all facets of the federal government since returning to the Oval Office on Jan. 20, including signing an executive order to abolish “radical and wasteful” DEI programs in the government. Various major corporations and retailers have scaled back their DEI efforts in the past year amid growing backlash, including Boeing, Walmart and Lowe’s.

“We have received an inquiry from the Federal Communications Commission and will be cooperating with the FCC to answer their questions,” a Comcast spokesperson said in a statement shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation. “For decades, our company has been built on a foundation of integrity and respect for all of our employees and customers.”

Notably, Comcast — which owns multiple assets, such as NBCUniversal — was ranked as the second leading media company in the world by market value as of May 2023, behind the Walt Disney Company.

An FCC spokesperson referred the DCNF to the letter when reached for comment.

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