Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr is facing accusations of selective enforcement after threatening to apply the equal-time rule to late-night TV shows while ignoring conservative talk radio. Carr warned TV broadcasters that political interviews on shows like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert might violate regulations, but critics note he hasn't issued similar warnings to talk radio programs.

Carr's selective approach drew scrutiny when Deadline reporter Ted Johnson asked why he expressed concern about TV talk shows but not radio programs like Sean Hannity's show, which featured Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton during his Senate campaign. Carr claimed TV programmers have been "misreading" FCC precedents while radio shows haven't faced the same issues, but offered no specifics to support this distinction. Consumer advocate Gigi Sohn called Carr's explanation "a bunch of nonsense," arguing that equal-time rules must apply equally to both TV and radio broadcasters.

The controversy highlights how Carr's enforcement decisions appear politically motivated, targeting shows critical of President Trump while exempting conservative media. This selective enforcement follows decades of FCC deregulation, including the 1987 elimination of the Fairness Doctrine, which helped conservative talk radio flourish. Carr's actions suggest the FCC under Trump is using regulatory authority to punish media critics rather than applying rules consistently across all platforms.