FCC delay in rural internet ‘worst abuse’: Commissioner

The Federal Communications Commission quietly decided on Friday to postpone the expansion of the Internet in rural communities.

Commissioner Brendan Carr sharply criticized the decision, calling it “the worst abuse of regulatory process I have seen in my twelve years at the FCC.”

Dish chairman and longtime Democratic donor Charlie Ergen was granted up to three more years by the FCC last week to bring the service to the most remote communities in the U.S. – without any input from the public or internal FCC officials.

“I have never heard of the FCC granting such relief without process, without public input and without warning,” Carr told the Post.

“The Democrats in the FCC leadership made a secret backroom deal – one that left Republican FCC commissioners and perhaps others completely in the dark – and then whipped him out the door on a Friday afternoon.”

The Washington Post learned that the move came just two days after the FCC approved a controversial deal that allowed left-leaning billionaire George Soros to acquire radio stations with a reach of more than 165 million Americans – a move that insiders also criticized as politically motivated.

According to sources, the FCC issued an order on Wednesday approving Soros' purchase of more than 200 radio stations in 40 markets just weeks before the presidential election.

The FCC's decision came after a party-line vote in which the commission's three Democrats voted in favor of the move while the two Republicans voted against it, sources added.

Under existing FCC rules, foreign ownership of U.S. radio stations cannot exceed 25 percent. Soros used foreign investment to bolster his bid and then filed a petition asking the commission to make an exception to the usual review process, public documents show.

The FCC's decision to fast-track its deal marks the first time in modern history that such a deal has been approved by the full commission without first going through the national security review process – a process that could take up to a year or more.

The Soros group says it will approach the FCC again at some point in the future to complete this process.

Soros, 93, pumped $400 million into Audacy in February to take control of the channel, which airs a handful of conservative shows with hosts such as Sean Hannity, Dana Loesch, Mark Levin, Glenn Beck and Erick Erickson.

But their influence could diminish if Soros takes power and pushes his agenda – as has been the case with other media takeovers.

A source familiar with the deal told the Post: “The idea that George Soros would buy hundreds of local radio stations just before a national election and continue to broadcast Sean Hannity and other conservative talk show hosts on Audacy is not credible.”

Carr had previously told the Washington Post: “The FCC should not create a special Soros acronym … the FCC must conduct its full and normal review process.”

Meanwhile, Ergen's investigation moved forward even faster than Soros's – he got the green light just two days after his request.

On Wednesday, Ergen asked the FCC to postpone a deadline requiring Dish's satellite provider EchoStar to ensure 75 percent coverage of the U.S. by June 2025 to 2028.

And in an unprecedented move, the FCC approved the request without asking the public for input and without the commission voting on it.

An analyst at trade magazine Fierce Wireless called the move “possibly a speed record for the agency” in approving an application.

The Washington Post had previously reported on Ergen's special treatment by the Justice Department and that his political donations were seen as a means of currying favor with key government officials.

Records show that Ergen and his wife donated more than $200,000 to Harris and the Democratic National Convention last year.

In a statement to the Washington Post, a Dish spokesman said: “It is on record that EchoStar and Charlie Ergen have supported both Republicans and Democrats for many years.”

“The FCC’s updated framework will enable EchoStar to optimize and enhance its innovative coast-to-coast expansion while more efficiently deploying the network in new areas of the country.

“The pricing and innovation improvements brought about by EchoStar’s continued presence in the wireless market are a win for all American consumers.”

Meanwhile, an FCC spokesman said: “No decision is final until the Commission announces it, which we have not yet done.”

A representative for Soros did not respond to The Post's request for comment.