The FCC reportedly has its own chairperson being investigated by its own inspector general, a should-be controversy that will likely make Trump's ilk like this tool even more.
The FCC's inspector general, David L. Hunt, has reportedly kicked off an investigation into whether chairperson Ajit Pai and aides "improperly pushed" for rule changes last year to benefit Sinclair Broadcasting, according to the New York Times. In April 2017, the FCC moved to allow TV broadcasters to own a significantly larger amount of stations. Sinclair, just weeks later, then made a deal to buy Tribune Media for just under $4 billion.
Following that deal, as the Timesrevealed Thursday, New Jersey Representative Frank Pallone and others started looking for answers. Thursday, Pallone said he was "grateful" the FCC's inspector general had opened what he feels is an "important" investigation. The inspector genera's office has not commented on reports of the investigation, though its existence may add difficulty to the upcoming FCC and DOJ reviews of Sinclair's buyout deal.
The agency also voted in December to repeal net neutrality. The vote eliminated net neutrality rules that were wisely put in place under the Open Internet Order back in 2015. Netflix, one of the first major voices to release a statement on the decision, vowed to take the FCC to court. "This is the beginning of a longer legal battle," a rep said. "Netflix stands w/ innovators, large & small, to oppose this misguided FCC order."
If you need even more reason to marvel at the FCC's current state of fuckery, here's a clip of Ajit Pai futilely attempting to appeal to young people by doing a PSA for the Daily Caller. As expected, the PSA actually answers none of your concerns about net neutrality.
