FCC Chair Brendan Carr warns broadcasters against airing false election polls

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr has warned television and radio broadcasters against airing fabricated election polls, the Washington Examiner reported. Carr stated that broadcast stations could face regulatory scrutiny if they knowingly mislead their viewers by sharing false polling numbers. [1]

The warning from the regulator follows an admission by Wedgewood Polls that the firm deliberately fabricated political polling data in political contests across the United States. According to the Washington Examiner, the admission has raised questions regarding how news organizations vet survey data before broadcasting it to the public. [1]

Carr has served as the chair of the Federal Communications Commission since 2025 and has been an FCC commissioner since 2017. He first joined the agency in 2012, having previously practiced law at Wiley Rein LLP and clerked for Judge Dennis Shedd on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. [3][4]

In a separate development, Reporters Without Borders and the Media Defense Fund filed a complaint against Carr on October 19, RSF reported. The advocacy groups alleged a potential misuse of office by the official during partisan campaigning. [2]