The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), under the leadership of Brendan Carr, is examining whether an edited edition of the BBC’s Panorama violated U.S. regulations regarding the presentation of presidential speeches. This inquiry follows a controversy surrounding a segment that focused on former President Donald Trump’s remarks prior to the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021.

In a recent communication to the BBC’s outgoing Director General, Tim Davie, Carr requested clarification on whether the contentious program was ever broadcast in the United States. Both Davie and BBC News head Deborah Turness resigned following criticisms from a former independent advisor to the broadcaster. The BBC has since issued an apology for the way it edited two segments of Trump’s speech.

Trump has indicated plans to pursue legal action against the BBC in Florida, seeking damages of up to $5 billion. Although no formal lawsuit has been filed yet, the BBC’s Chair, Samir Shah, assured staff members that the organization is “determined to fight” the claims of defamation lodged by Trump.

Determining whether the program aired in the U.S. is critical for any potential litigation, especially since the show was available only on iPlayer, the BBC’s streaming service that is not accessible in the U.S.

Brendan Carr, a known ally of Trump and a critic of perceived liberal bias in mainstream media, reached out to other U.S. broadcasters, including PBS and NPR, which have established partnerships with the BBC. Carr emphasized the need to assess whether the BBC’s actions could have violated FCC regulations regarding misleading content.

The specific edition of Panorama aired just a week before the U.S. midterm elections, controversially editing Trump’s speech to imply that he told his supporters, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol and I’ll be there with you, and we fight. We fight like hell.” However, these phrases were taken from different segments of his speech delivered nearly an hour apart.

The alteration raised concerns pointed out in a memo by Michael Prescott, a former independent advisor to the BBC’s editorial guidelines committee.

While legal experts have assessed the situation, opinions vary regarding the strength of Trump’s case. David McCraw, a leading lawyer for the New York Times, expressed confidence that the BBC possesses a “very solid case” against Trump’s claims. He noted that various factors, including jurisdictional issues, would complicate litigation in Florida but did not foresee significant legal challenges for the BBC if they remain steadfast.

The BBC has confirmed receipt of the FCC’s correspondence but has opted not to provide additional commentary at this time.