FCC took pricey gifts from Paramount as the company needed approval for deals
FCC commissioners, including Chair Brendan Carr, have accepted expensive gifts from Paramount and CBS while the agency was overseeing regulatory approvals for the company. Ethics disclosures reveal that officials attended high-profile events funded by the media conglomerate during critical merger decision periods.
Why it matters
This raises significant questions regarding regulatory capture and the ethical standards governing interactions between government officials and the industries they regulate.
showtime FCC took pricey gifts from Paramount as the company needed approval for deals FCC chair has been gifted at least $63,000 worth of tickets by CBS or its parent company.
13 Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav The rich and famous who filed into the Kennedy Center’s opera house in December were there to enjoy one of the nation’s most exclusive celebrations of the performing arts: the center’s annual honors gala.
The black-tie event, hosted by President Donald Trump, prioritized tickets to people who donated more than $75,000 to the center. This year, it feted Hollywood icon Sylvester Stallone, the legendary glam rock band Kiss and the Grammy Award-winning disco pioneer Gloria Gaynor.
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