Trump: FCC Should Fine 'National Review' Editor

Late Wednesday, leading GOP candidate Donald Trump said the FCC should fine Rich Lowry after the National Review editor, in an appearance on Fox News' The Kelly File, provided a graphic description of his view of Carly Fiorina's performance in last week's CNN Republican debate.

Lowry said Fiorina had surgically castrated Trump in the debate – although the editor used a more colloquial phrase – and that Trump had "insulted and bullied" his way to the top of the polls.

Following Lowry's comments, Trump tweeted: "Incompetent @RichLowry lost it tonight on @FoxNews. He should not be allowed on TV and the FCC should fine him!"

The FCC does not have any indecency authority over cable programming, though Trump is just one of many to seek FCC intervention for TV content they dislike; witness the recent stories chronicling complaints about Miley Cyrus and her wardrobe malfunction at MTV's VMAs.

Trump has also renewed his attacks on Fox News Channel, which the network said was prompted by its decision to cancel an appearance scheduled for Thursday (Sept. 24) following a string of tweeted and re-tweeted Trump invective aimed at the network and its anchors.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.