The NAB wants it, as do most of the nation’s broadcast radio and television broadcasting companies. The FCC’s Chairman, Brendan Carr, has stated his desire for it, too. Now, no less than 73 Members of Congress have called on the Commission to modernize the nation’s broadcast ownership rules.
The bipartisan members of the House of Representatives, led by Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), expressed their desire for deregulation in a letter sent to Carr on Monday. They seek immediate action to update ownership regulations they label as outdated, and as such hurt local TV and radio stations.
The NAB distributed a copy of the letter, in which the Members of Congress state that existing broadcast ownership regulations do not reflect today’s competitive media landscape.
“While the FCC has made incremental adjustments over the decades, the fundamental ownership restrictions have remained largely unchanged since the 1990s, imposing undue constraints on broadcasters’ ability to innovate and invest in local content,” the federal legislators said. “At a time when newspapers are battling to survive, broadcasters’ local engagement is more important than ever. When broadcasters cannot combine or expand operations, they struggle to maintain sufficient newsroom staff and invest in journalism. This increasing lack of access to local information leaves communities vulnerable to misinformation from unverified sources on social media. Reforming outdated ownership rules is essential to ensuring that broadcasters remain viable, competitive, and capable of fulfilling their essential role in American democracy. By modernizing these regulations, the FCC can empower broadcasters to better serve their communities, promote local journalism, and compete in the modern media marketplace. Updating these rules is not just an urgent economic necessity, it is a public service imperative.”
NAB President/CEO Curtis LeGeyt said the organization was grateful to Rep. Hudson and his colleagues for the letter. “America’s local TV and radio stations are facing a radically transformed media landscape where global tech giants operate without restriction while local stations remain shackled by decades-old rules,” he said. “Quickly updating these rules is essential to preserving local journalism, strengthening public safety and ensuring that broadcasters can continue to serve the communities that rely on them every day.”
