U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks to Brendan Carr, his intended pick for Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, as he attends a viewing of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket on November 19, 2024 in Brownsville, Texas.
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The Federal Communications Commission has alerted Comcast Corp. that it will begin an investigation into the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at the media giant.
The FCC, the agency that regulates the media and telecommunications industry, said in a letter dated Tuesday that it would open the inquiry into both Comcast — which provides broadband, mobile and cable TV services under the Xfinity brand — and NBCUniversal, the media arm that encompasses the company’s broadcast and cable TV networks, streaming app Peacock, and Universal film studio and amusement parks.
The letter comes three weeks after President Donald Trump signed an executive order looking to end DEI practices at U.S. corporations. The order calls for each federal agency to “identify up to nine potential civil compliance investigations” among publicly traded companies, as well as nonprofits and other institutions.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Republican who was recently appointed by Trump, said he was starting his investigation with Comcast and NBCUniversal because they “cover a range of sectors regulated by the FCC.”
“We have received an inquiry from the Federal Communications Commission and will be cooperating with the FCC to answer their questions,” a Comcast spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday. “For decades, our company has been built on a foundation of integrity and respect for all of our employees and customers.”
Carr said in the letter sent to Comcast that he was “concerned that Comcast and NBCUniversal may be promoting invidious forms of DEI in a manner that does not comply with FCC regulations.”
The letter goes on to say that “Comcast states on its website that promoting DEI is ‘a core value of our business’ and public reports state that Comcast has an entire ‘DEI infrastructure’ that includes annual ‘DEI day[s],’ ‘DEI training for company leaders,’ and similar initiatives.” The letter says NBCUniversal has similar initiatives, “including executives specifically dedicated to promoting DEI across the TV and programming side of the business.”
Fellow media giant Disney is changing its DEI programs, which includes updating performance factors and rebranding initiatives and employee resource groups, among other things, the company confirmed Wednesday.
Public broadcaster PBS is shutting down its DEI office. A PBS representative confirmed that those employees were leaving the company, noting it was to stay in compliance with Trump’s executive order.
“We will continue to adhere to our mission and values. PBS will continue to reflect all of America and remain a welcoming place for everyone,” the broadcaster said in a statement.
Disclosure: Comcast owns NBCUniversal, the parent company of CNBC.
— CNBC’s Sarah Whitten contributed to this article.
