Back in August the CEO’s of 10 radio companies penned a letter supporting more deregulation. Not every station or group owner is in favor of more deregulation, most notably iHeartMedia. Plus in a very non-scientific poll, 90% of Radio Ink readers were opposed to lifting the ownership caps. Many feel deregulation has actually ruined radio. Here’s what those in favor have asked the FCC to approve…
Here’s what radio executives are asking for:
-In the top 75 Nielsen Audio markets, allow a single entity to own or control up to eight commercial FM stations, with no limit on AM ownership.
– To promote new entry into broadcasting, an owner in these top 75 markets should be permitted to own up to two additional FM stations (for a total of 10 FMs) by participating in the FCC’s incubator program; and
– In Nielsen markets outside of the top 75 and in unrated markets, there should be no restrictions on the number of FM or AM stations a single entity may own or control.”
Some worry that without the industry unified on a deregulation solution that the FCC will punt on the radio ownership issue. After all, they say, why should the FCC make a move when they radio industry cannot even come together. In June iHeartMedia CEO Bob Pittman and CFO Richard Bressler sent out a note that stated they believe the NAB board vote was not even close to unanimous and they support a group opposed to deregulation, which we understand includes Federated Media, Salem and several other companies. Pittman and Bressler also point out that the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters and the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council are opposed to more deregulation.
In the letter those 10 radio CEO’s distributed back in August they said they respected dissenting views and that months of work by NAB Board members and staff culminated in the above proposal. It was sent to the FCC’s Media Bureau Chief on June 15th. Prior to its submission to the FCC, the proposal had been developed and vetted by a special Committee of the NAB Board formed for this purpose, as well as by the full Radio Board itself. At both the Committee and Board level, the proposal to revise the ownership limits was debated and voted upon openly, and, at both levels of review, it passed with a substantial majority of support. The CEO’s also wanted to emphasize that it was not approved by “a faction,” that it was approved by a substantial majority.
Check out Radio Ink’s extensive 2018 series on deregulation HERE.
