FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to Update Lawmakers on George Soros’s Influence Over Local Radio Stations

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr is set to provide an update on the agency’s investigation into George Soros and his influence over local radio stations during a meeting with Republican lawmakers on Wednesday.

According to Fox News, Carr will address members of the Republican Study Committee, a group consisting of 175 House Republicans, during their annual closed-door lunch. His briefing is expected to focus on Soros’s involvement in local radio stations, particularly in light of his ties to an investment firm that acquired over 200 Audacy radio stations nationwide last year.

The meeting comes amid growing Republican scrutiny over the deal, with many lawmakers voicing concerns about foreign ownership and the regulatory process followed by the FCC. Carr is also expected to discuss broader strategies to counter left-leaning media influence, a subject that has gained prominence among senior Republican officials.

The acquisition of the radio stations has drawn significant attention from Republican leaders. In September, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) announced plans to investigate the FCC under the Biden administration, questioning why Soros Fund Management was allowed to take a major stake in Audacy. The investment firm has a substantial level of foreign ownership, which has raised further concerns among Republican lawmakers.

Carr previously testified before the House Oversight Committee, raising alarms over how the FCC handled the transaction. “The FCC is not following its normal process for reviewing a transaction,” Carr stated at the time. He emphasized that existing regulations limit foreign ownership to 25 percent unless specific approvals are granted through a well-established review process.

“We have established over a number of years one way in which you can get approval from the FCC when you have an excess of 25 percent foreign ownership, which this transaction does,” Carr said. “It seems to me that the FCC is poised to create, for the first time, an entirely new shortcut.”

Republican lawmakers have expressed frustration over the way the FCC has handled the case. In a letter to then-FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, members of the House Oversight Committee accused the agency of bypassing the established regulatory process to accommodate Soros.