FCC chair to testify before Senate panel after blowback over Jimmy Kimmel suspension

Sen. Ted Cruz, chairman of the committee holding the hearing, was one of the most outspoken GOP critics of Brendan Carr's actions leading up to Kimmel's benching.

Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, who drew sharp criticism from both sides of the aisle over his threats related to Jimmy Kimmel’s show, will testify before the Senate Commerce Committee, a spokesperson for the committee told NBC News.

The panel, which has jurisdiction over the FCC, is chaired by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, one of the first congressional Republicans to chastise Carr's actions. A date has not been set for the hearing.

Semafor first reported on Carr’s agreeing to testify.

Brendan Carr at the Concordia Annual Summit in New York on Sept. 22.Andres Kudacki / APAn FCC spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday night on the upcoming hearing.

Cruz bashed Carr after he floated potential regulatory action against ABC and its parent company, Disney, ahead of what became a weeklong suspension of Kimmel's late-night show over on-air comments he made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.