FCC Chair Brendan Carr is prepared to block mergers and acquisitions from firms that are still holding tight onto their diversity, equity and inclusion programs, according to a report.
Major deals – specifically Paramount Global’s merger with Skydance Media and Verizon’s acquisition of Frontier Communications Parent – could face roadblocks from the federal agency if they do not backtrack their DEI policies, Carr told Bloomberg on Friday.
“Any businesses that are looking for FCC approval, I would encourage them to get busy ending any sort of their invidious forms of DEI discrimination,” said Carr, who took the helm at the Federal Communications Commission in January.
The warning falls in line with President Trump’s own crusade against the controversial policies – banning them across the federal level and having his Attorney General Pam Bondi threaten to “investigate, eliminate and penalize illegal DEI” within private companies.
“We can only under the statute move forward and approve a transaction if we find that doing so serves the public interest,” Carr told Bloomberg.
In February, Carr ordered his agency to launch a probe into Comcast’s DEI policies – setting off alarm bells for other media conglomerates continuing their programs.
“Every single business that’s regulated by the FCC … I trust that they have now got the message that the time to end their invidious forms of DEI discrimination is now,” Carr told The Post at the time.
“I have a very hard time seeing how a business is going to get FCC approval while maintaining invidious forms of discrimination,” he added.
The FCC is already expected to drag out its review of the $8 billion merger between Shari Redstone’s Paramount and independent studio Skydance – possibly taking until the second half of the year, The Post’s Charles Gasparino reported.
Carr also launched an investigation into Verizon’s diversity practices in February as the telecommunications giant tries to seal a $9.6 billion acquisition of Frontier.
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