Billionaire George Soros is known for writing massive checks to Democrat candidates and funding a network of leftist dark money organizations under the disguise of his "Open Society Foundations.” Adding to his resume, he now owns hundreds of U.S. radio stations.
The Federal Communications Commission approved a decision to allow Soros to purchase 200 Audacy radio stations across 40 U.S. markets just weeks before the 2024 election— a move that has never been done before. This means the Democrat megadonor will be able to reach more than 165 million Americans as they begin to cast their votes.
Under the Federal Communications Act, a radio station license cannot be held by a corporation with more than 25 percent foreign ownership. Soros acknowledged that the level of foreign ownership of Audacy will exceed that. However, he still requested that the FCC expedite the approval of the application for ownership and bypass the foreign ownership review, which would allow them to quickly “realize their ownership interests in, and take the reins at, these hundreds of local radio stations across the country,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) said in a letter to the FCC.
Commissioner Brendan Carr of the Federal Communications Commission warned the FCC not to go beyond its standard procedure and allow Soros to purchase the radio stations.
“I think what’s interesting about it is that the FCC is not following its normal process for reviewing transactions that it has established over a number of years,” Carr said. “It seems to me the FCC is poised, for the first time, to create an entirely new shortcut.”
George Soros is buying up HUNDREDS of radio stations before the election and @BrendanCarrFCC confirms the FCC is HELPING him: "We have a very clear process... to review the foreign ownership at issue here... the FCC Commission, for the very first time ever, has SKIPPED that… pic.twitter.com/7Jucs9oD3o
— D. Scott @eclipsethis2003 (@eclipsethis2003) September 24, 2024
Meanwhile, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) wrote a letter to FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel requesting documents and communications regarding Soro’s purchase to better understand it. They warned that if Soros were to buy out the radio company, its airwaves would be "directly or indirectly controlled" by "foreign individuals or entities holding more than one-fourth of the capital stock."
In their letter, Comer and Langworthy cautioned that the Democrat donor is "advocating for speech restriction and censorship of conservatives online." Soros is attempting to purchase $415 million in debt after the company declared bankruptcy.
They urged the FCC not to green-light the purchase, saying Soros aims to influence “political dialogue in this country.”
“Soros Fund Management is investing in podcast platforms and purchasing radio stations in major media markets, which has ramifications for what Americans hear and influences political dialogue in this country," the congressmen wrote. "Indeed, 31 percent of all media consumption in the United States consists of audio, even more than television consumption at 24 percent."
The FCC just fast-tracked George Soros' purchase of 220+ radio stations before November's election.
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) September 24, 2024
The stations reach 165M Americans.
This has never been done before. pic.twitter.com/B9PismtYhU
Comer and Langworth gave the FCC a deadline of Oct. 3 for submitting records between Jan. 7, 2024, and the present.
Last year, Soros purchased a media company in Poland before the country’s election. The conservative Law and Justice (PiS) government was unseated shortly after.