The controversy centered on public remarks made by FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr in response to political commentary delivered during Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night monologues. Carr publicly criticized aspects of the content, raising concerns about media standards and bias, which in turn prompted debate over whether such criticism from a sitting FCC official could be interpreted as government pressure on protected speech. The exchange drew significant media attention and sparked broader discussion about the FCC’s role, if any, in overseeing or responding to political satire aired by broadcast networks.

The records, totaling nearly 2,000 pages, span communications from mid-2025 through early 2026 and include internal FCC emails, press inquiries, and a substantial number of complaints submitted by members of the public.

Volume of Public Complaints

A significant portion of the release consists of complaints submitted directly to the FCC by viewers reacting to the controversy. These complaints frequently reference concerns about free speech, media bias, and the role of government oversight in late-night television.

Many of the submissions express strong opinions on both sides of the issue. Some argue that government officials should not attempt to influence or criticize political satire, while others contend that certain commentary crossed lines that warranted scrutiny.

In one complaint, a member of the public framed the issue as a constitutional concern, writing that actions by officials represented “a direct violation of First Amendment rights.” In contrast, other submissions supported calls for accountability in media, citing perceived bias or inappropriate content.

The volume and tone of these complaints illustrate the degree to which the issue resonated with the public and prompted direct engagement with the FCC.

Media Inquiries and Press Pressure

The records also show that the FCC received inquiries from major media outlets seeking comment on the situation. Journalists from organizations including Reuters, Politico, and The Hollywood Reporter reached out to FCC officials with questions about the agency’s position, its authority, and Commissioner Carr’s statements.

These inquiries often focused on whether the FCC had jurisdiction over late-night programming, the implications of public criticism from a sitting commissioner, and whether any formal action was under consideration.

Internal email exchanges reflect coordination on how to respond to these inquiries, suggesting that the issue generated notable media attention and required careful messaging from within the agency.

Internal Communications and Talking Points

Internal FCC communications included discussions about how to handle the influx of complaints and media attention. In one exchange, staff referenced the need for “approved talking points” to guide responses to public inquiries and ensure consistency in messaging.

While limited in scope, these internal emails indicate that agency personnel were actively working to manage both public-facing communications and internal coordination during the controversy.

These documents provide a snapshot of how the FCC engaged with a fast-moving and politically sensitive issue involving media figures and First Amendment considerations.

While the records do not present a single unified narrative, they collectively illustrate the intersection of public opinion, media scrutiny, and internal government communication during a high-profile controversy.

###

Document Archive

FOIA Release Package [1,922, 11MB]

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The post FCC Records Detail Internal and Public Response to Jimmy Kimmel Controversy first appeared on The Black Vault.

The report is divided into four parts:

1. ALA-17 Flare Tests: Examines the effectiveness of deploying one to three flares as decoys. The tests demonstrated successful missile decoying under most conditions, with a few exceptions.
2. C-130 Susceptibility: Analyzes the vulnerability of C-130 aircraft to ground-launched infrared-guided missiles during low-level flight. It was feasible to achieve missile lock-on at low offsets from the launch site, though larger offsets posed challenges.
3. QRC-399 Countermeasures: Evaluates the QRC-399 equipment’s ability to disrupt missile guidance systems. A high jamming-to-signal ratio was critical for success, particularly against the more agile ATOLL missile.
4. Infrared Radiometry: Assesses the effectiveness of airborne countermeasures and measures infrared emissions from target aircraft, providing insights into decoy probabilities and radiant intensities.

The findings contribute to understanding infrared countermeasure technologies and air-to-air and ground-to-air missile vulnerabilities.

Document Archive

HAVE CARGO Captive Flight Tests, Phase III, Volume IV [154 Pages, 53MB]

The post HAVE CARGO Captive Flight Tests, Phase III, Volume IV – August 1974 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Background

On January 12, 2018, CNN published the following:

President Donald Trump expressed frustration behind closed doors with people coming to the US from “shithole countries,” sources told CNN on Thursday.

One of the sources briefed on the Thursday Oval Office meeting with lawmakers confirmed Trump asked, “Why do we want all these people from ‘shithole countries’ coming here?”

CNN, along with other networks, began running stories regarding the comment. Though uncharacteristically, many networks (arguably, mostly CNN) had no problem saying “Shithole” without any type of censorship in the form of a “beep” or finding a different way to reference the statement (ie: “s-hole” etc.)

In January of 2018, I filed a report to the FCC for complaints filed that contain the word “Shithole”.  This would encompass the complaints sent in to the FCC about this statement.

The result shows a barrage of complaints on various networks from all over the United States.

Document Archive

 FCC Flooded With Complaints About News Stories Regarding Donald Trump’s “S**thole” Comment on January 11, 2018 [165 Pages, 1.9MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/fcc/TrumpLanguageComplaints-2018.pdf

The post FCC Flooded With Complaints About News Stories Regarding Donald Trump’s “S**thole” Comment on January 11, 2018 first appeared on The Black Vault.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is an American late-night talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Television Studios, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is the second iteration of CBS’s Late Show franchise. Stay Human, led by bandleader Jon Batiste, serves as the program’s house band, and the announcer is program writer Jen Spyra.

The program is taped at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City and airs live to tape in most U.S. markets at 11:35 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, and 10:35 in the Central and is repeated several times a day.

On May 1, 2017, Colbert made lewd jokes against President Donald Trump — creating quite a public backlash. These comments included:

“Sir, you attract more skinheads than free Rogaine.”

“You have more people marching against you than cancer.”

“You talk like a sign language gorilla that got hit in the head.”

“In fact, the only thing your mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin’s c–k holster.”

I filed a FOIA request to the FCC for all complaints sent in from the public. Although I expected quite a few, I had no idea that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would have generated well more than 5,700 of them!  Most of which, I would assume, came after the May 1st show.

Due to the volume of them, the FCC sent the first 100 in the initial response, seeking confirmation if I would like the rest.

On May 25, 2017, I confirmed via email with the FCC that the majority of the complaints on this show, were due to the May 1st rant by Colbert. The email stated:

John, we received less than 10 complaints about Stephen Colbert / Late Show from January 2017 to the end of April 2017. As previously noted, we received slightly less than 5900 complaints since his May 1^st show.

Document Archive

 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert TV Complaints [104 Pages, 3.4MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/TV/StephenColbert-2017Sample.pdf

The post The Late Show with Stephen Colbert first appeared on The Black Vault.

Subliminal advertising is when certain words or images flash onto a screen faster than the conscious mind can read or decode them or, in printed advertisements, conceals such images and text by distorting them, surrounding them by meaningless squiggles and shapes, or placing them in unexpected locations.

In January of 2017, I requests all consumer complaints about subliminal advertising, which are included below:

Document Archive

 Subliminal Advertising Complaints from 1/1/2015 – 1/18/2017 [12 Pages, 1.9MB] – FCC FOIA CASE 2017-286.

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The post Subliminal Advertising Complaints Submitted to the FCC first appeared on The Black Vault.

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (NYRE) is an annual New Year’s Eve television special broadcast by ABC. The special broadcasts from New York City’s Times Square, and prominently features coverage of its annual ball drop event, along with live and pre-recorded musical performances by popular musicians from Times Square and Hollywood, respectively.

Dick Clark hosted New Year’s Rockin’ Eve annually from 1973 through 2004, and served as a Times Square correspondent alongside Peter Jennings for ABC News’s special coverage of year 2000 celebrations. The complications of a stroke suffered by Clark in December 2004 had a major effect on his role in the special. After having Regis Philbin serve as a guest host for 2005, Clark returned for the 2006 edition to serve as a host: due to speech impediments that had resulted from his stroke, he ceded hosting duties to Ryan Seacrest.

The death of Dick Clark on April 18, 2012 left Ryan Seacrest as the sole host of New Year’s Rockin’ Eve beginning with its 2012–13 edition. Seacrest has most recently been joined by Jenny McCarthy as a correspondent from Times Square, with Fergie of The Black Eyed Peas serving as the presenter of the Hollywood concert segments. Through its deal with Dick Clark Productions, New Year’s Rockin’ Eve will remain on ABC through at least 2024.

TV Show Complaints

 2016/2017 Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin Eve FCC Complaints [6 Pages, 4.6MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/TV/2017-243FCC-NYRE20162017.pdf

The post 2016/2017 Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin Eve first appeared on The Black Vault.

The 2016 United States presidential election debates were a series of debates held for the 2016 U.S. presidential general election. The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), a bipartisan organization formed in 1987, organized three debates among the major presidential candidates. The first presidential debate for the 2016 election took place on September 26, 2016, and set the record as the most-watched debate in American history, with 84 million viewers. The only vice-presidential debate was held on October 4. The second presidential debate took place on October 9, and the final debate took place on October 19. All CPD debates occurred from approximately 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. EDT (6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. PDT). Only the Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and the Republican nominee Donald Trump met the criteria for inclusion in the debates, and thus were the only two to appear in the debates. Hillary Clinton was considered to have won all three presidential debates by scientific opinion polls of likely voters. Despite this, Donald Trump won the presidential election held on November 8.

Below, you will find the complaints submitted by viewers to the FCC, about these debates. Specifically, this release consisted of the complaints for the debates which took place on Monday, September 26, 2016, Sunday, October 9, 2016 and Wednesday, October 19, 2016.

FCC Complaints

 FCC Complaints about 2016 Presidential Debates between Donald Trump & Hillary Clinton [40 Pages, 7.5MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/TV/2016PresidentialDebates-FCC.pdf

The post 2016 Presidential Debates – Donald Trump & Hillary Clinton first appeared on The Black Vault.

The Walking Dead is an American horror drama television series developed by Frank Darabont, based on the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. Andrew Lincoln plays the show’s lead character, sheriff’s deputy Rick Grimes, who awakens from a coma discovering a world overrun by zombies, commonly referred to as “walkers”. Grimes reunites with his family and becomes the leader of a group he forms with other survivors. Together they struggle to survive and adapt in a post-apocalyptic world filled with walkers and opposing groups of survivors, who are often more dangerous than the walkers themselves.

Much of the series takes place within the Atlanta metro area and surrounding countryside. Later, the setting transitions to other parts of the country including Alexandria, Virginia.

The Walking Dead premiered in the United States on October 31, 2010, exclusively shown on cable television channel AMC and internationally on Fox International Channels. As a result of very favorable Nielsen ratings that rank the show unprecedentedly high for a cable series, AMC has renewed the series each year. Beginning with its third season, The Walking Dead attracts the most 18- to 49-year-old viewers of any cable or broadcast television series. It is presently airing its seventh season, which began on October 23, 2016, and has been renewed for an eighth season to air in late 2017.

FCC Complaints

 The Walking Dead FCC Complaints, January 1, 2016 – October 30, 2016 [52 Pages, 10.7MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/TV/thewalkingdead-fcccomplaints-2016.pdf

The post The Walking Dead first appeared on The Black Vault.

Fox & Friends evolved from Fox X-press, FNC’s original morning-news program.The show also has a list of regular contributors, including Dr. Manny Alvarez with “Ask Dr. Manny” and “Dr. Manny’s Healthbeat,” two regular health segments, Mancow Muller with a short chat session towards the end of the weekday edition of the program, and any number of other contributors.

Complaints against Fox & Friends filed with the FCC (01/09 – 11/09) [32 Pages, 11.29mb]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/TV/FoxandFriends2009.pdf

The post Fox and Friends on Fox News first appeared on The Black Vault.

Complaints against Anderson Cooper 360 filed with the FCC (01/09 – 11/09) [86 Pages, 8.31mb]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/TV/ac3602009.pdf

The post Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN first appeared on The Black Vault.

Complaints against On The Record filed with the FCC (01/09 – 11/09) [2 Pages, 800kb]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/TV/Greta2009.pdf

The post On the Record w/ Greta Van Sustern on Fox News first appeared on The Black Vault.

Complaints against Larry King Live filed with the FCC (01/09 – 11/09) [2 Pages, 700kb]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/TV/LarryKing2009.pdf

The post Larry King Live on CNN first appeared on The Black Vault.

Mike Huckabee hosts “Huckabee” on FOX News Channel, which airs on Saturday evenings. A significant part of his adult life was spent as a pastor and denominational leader. He became the youngest president ever of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, the largest denomination in Arkansas. Huckabee led rapidly growing congregations in Pine Bluff and Texarkana. He said those experiences gave him a deep sense of the problems faced by individuals and families.

Complaints against Huckabee filed with the FCC (01/09 – 11/09) [4 Pages, 1.5mb]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/TV/Huckabee2009.pdf

The post Huckabee on Fox News first appeared on The Black Vault.

Below, you will find (negative) reactions about the Hannity program filed with the FCC.

As I want to point out, just because the FCC receives a complaint, does not mean there are any violations.  But it is very humorous to go through some of these complaints, and see what the American people are thinking.

Please Note: These are not my views, nor is it my intent to paint the Hannity program in a bad light.  I am a fan of Sean Hannity, and respect that he stands up for what he believes in.

Complaints against the Hannity Program filed with the FCC (01/09 – 10/09) [116 Pages, 13.89mb]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/TV/Hannity01091009.pdf

The post Hannity’s America on Fox News first appeared on The Black Vault.

Below, you will find (negative) reactions about the O’Reilly Factor program filed with the FCC.

As I want to point out, just because the FCC receives a complaint, does not mean there are any violations.  But it is very humorous to go through some of these complaints, and see what the American people are thinking.

Please Note: These are not my views, nor is it my intent to paint the O’Reilly Factor in a bad light.  As with the Glenn Beck program, I am a fan of Bill O’Reilly, and know he will remain on the air for quite some time!

Complaints against The O’Reilly Factor filed with the FCC (01/09 – 10/09) [48 Pages, 5.96mb]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/TV/OReilly01091009.pdf

The post The O’Reilly Factor on Fox News first appeared on The Black Vault.

Anyone who watches cable news knows the name Glenn Beck.  Whether you are a devoted fan tuning in to his wildly popular show, or someone who thinks the man shouldn’t be broadcasting, truth is — he gets the ratings.

Below, you will find (negative) reactions about the Glenn Beck program filed with the FCC.

As I want to point out, just because the FCC receives a complaint, does not mean there are any violations.  But it is very humorous to go through some of these complaints, and see what the American people are thinking.

Please Note: These are not my views, nor is it my intent to paint the Glenn Beck program in a bad light.  On a personal note, I am a big fan of Glenn, and know he will remain on the air for some time.  But to see the complaints does offer very interesting insight on what SOME people think.  Some are ridiculous, some may be well founded… you decide.

Document Archive

Complaints against Glenn Beck Program filed with the FCC (01/09 – 10/09) [102 Pages, 12.5mb]

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The post The Glenn Beck Program on Fox News first appeared on The Black Vault.

Although mostly a satire show, it has been compared to a David Letterman meets Maxim type of show.

Complaints against Red Eye filed with the FCC (01/09 – 11/09) [22 Pages, 7.73mb]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/TV/RedEye2009.pdf

The post Red Eye on Fox News first appeared on The Black Vault.

The following documents are complaints sent to the FCC about the program.

Complaints against Person of Interest filed with the FCC (01/12 – 11/12) [17 Pages, 5.11 MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/TV/personofinterest.pdf

The post Person of Interest on CBS first appeared on The Black Vault.

The following documents are complaints sent to the FCC about the program.

Complaints against Piers Morgan Tonight (01/1/12 – 1/20/13) [19 Pages, 3.0 MB] – You will find complaints about Morgan’s views on gun control, treatment of his guests, and a discussion about killing Alex Jones.

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/TV/piersmorgan2012.pdf

The post Piers Morgan Tonight on CNN first appeared on The Black Vault.

An MTV Video Music Award (commonly abbreviated as a VMA) is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category), the annual MTV Video Music Awards ceremony has often been called the “Oscars for youth”, an acknowledgment of the VMA ceremony’s ability to draw millions of youth from teens to 20-somethings each year.

The annual VMA ceremony occurs before the end of summer and held either in late August or mid-September, and broadcast live on MTV. The first VMA ceremony was held in 1984 at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall. The ceremonies are normally held in either New York City or Los Angeles. However, the ceremonies have also been hosted in Miami and Las Vegas.

Complaints about Miley Cyrus’ VMA 2013 Performance [163 Pages, 29.85mb]

The post The VMA’s on MTV first appeared on The Black Vault.

 Complaints received through 10/28/2013 by the FCC [ 9 Pages, 1.6MB ]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/TV/duckdynasty-11-2013.pdf

The post Duck Dynasty on A&E first appeared on The Black Vault.