The chairman said the broadcast industry is founded on the concept that local TV stations provide programming in response to the needs of the community.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) repealed a rule that capped national television ownership at 39 percent. The new regulation will establish a case-by-case review and allows the agency to approve deals that “promote the public interest.”
With the increase in competition from digital streaming services and platforms that do not face the restrictions previously imposed on TV stations, the agency determined that reform was necessary to create a level playing field. Additional emphasis was placed on the vitality of local reporters for communities across the U.S., while acknowledging the rapid expansion of the internet.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr stated, “The very foundation of our broadcast industry is built on this idea—that local TV stations licensed to local communities air programming responsive to their needs. Congress never envisioned that local broadcast TV stations would become nothing more than undifferentiated passthroughs of national programming produced in Hollywood and New York. But if the FCC does not change course, this could become the reality in many towns and cities and counties.“
“The national cap constrains the ability of broadcast television station owners to attract capital and generate revenue through achieving greater scale,” Deputy Division Chief Chad Guo of the FCC Media Bureau’s Industry Analysis Division said. “Eliminating the national cap would remove these restrictions and provide leverage to owners of local broadcast television stations against national networks.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Chairman Carr as he oversees changes to regulations for TV station ownership.
- For FCC officials as they engage in the new broadcasting approval process.
- For members of Congress as they assess the authority of the FCC to make these changes.
Sources: Federal Communications Commission, Roll Call
