The Federal Communications Commission recently bypassed its own rules to fast-track the purchase of more than 200 radio stations by Democrat mega-donor George Soros.
According to a story by National Review, the Biden administration is pushing through approval for the transfer of more than 200 radio station licenses from bankrupt broadcaster Audacy Inc. to a nonprofit controlled by Soros’ “progressive philanthropy empire.”
According to National Review, Republicans are angry with the FCC for breaking with established procedure by rushing the deal.
“The FCC voted 3-2 earlier this month to allow a restructured Audacy Inc., now controlled by the Soros-funded nonprofit Fund for Policy Reform, to maintain over 200 broadcast licenses as it emerges from bankruptcy proceedings,” National Review reports. “… The commission released the text of its decision, which has drawn considerable scrutiny from Republican opponents concerned about the involvement of George Soros and his son Alexander.”
“In this decision, we approve the assignment of licenses held by Audacy, which has been under the control of a bankruptcy court, to the new Audacy, so that the company can emerge from bankruptcy proceedings,” FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel said “To suggest otherwise is cynical and wrong, as this precedent clearly demonstrates. Our practice here and in these prior cases is designed to facilitate the prompt and orderly emergence from bankruptcy of a company that is a licensee under the Communications Act.”
Rosenworcel is a Democrat first nominated to the FCC by President Barack Obama
According to National Review, she argued the process used to approve the Audacy restructuring is the same as other recent sales such as Cumulus Media and iHeart.
FCC allegedly violates federal procedures in granting licenses to Soros
However, according to the publication, Republican FCC commissioner Brenden Carr released a statement in dissent, calling the rush job “unprecedented.”
“The Commission’s decision today is unprecedented. Never before has the Commission voted to approve the transfer of a broadcast license—let alone the transfer of broadcast licenses for over 200 radio stations across more than 40 markets—without following the requirements and procedures codified in federal law,” Carr said. “Not once. And yet the Commission breaks this new ground today without seeking public comment on altering our established regulations, without actually changing the rules on the books, and without seeking the feedback of other federal agencies with relevant equities.”
Carr was appointed to the position by President Donald Trump and routinely criticizes the agency’s direction. Carr recently testified about the Biden administration’s policy record at a House Oversight Committee meeting in September.
“During the hearing, Carr voiced similar concerns about the FCC’s review process for the Audacy licenses, especially given foreign ownership concerns,” National Review reported. “His comments were featured in a letter House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer (R., Ky.) and Representative Nick Langworthy (R., N.Y.) wrote to Rosenworcel last week demanding documents and communications related to the Audacy radio licenses.”
The Hungarian-born billionaire Soros and his son are among the top donors to various activist progressive organizations and Democrat candidates, and in particular helped elect many soft-on-crime prosecutors in cities across the country. Alexander Soros oversees the Open Society Foundations which is the political donation arm of the Soros empire.
According to National Review, the FCC decision gives control to Laurel Tree Opportunities Corporation, an LLC controlled by FPR Capital Holdings LLC, a Delaware-based corporation, will hold a controlling stake in the new Audacy.
“FPR Capital Holdings is managed by the Fund for Policy Reform, a Soros-funded non-profit trust tied to Soros’s Open Society network that contributes hundreds of millions of dollars to left-wing causes,” National Review reports. “Alexander Soros is a board member of the Fund for Policy Reform trust. FPR also holds a stake in the Latino Media Network, LLC, a left-wing company that acquired 18 Hispanic radio stations and raised $80 million upon its launch.”