Speaking in Sioux Falls, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr formally launched his Build America Agenda, and central to that is what he’s calling the largest deregulatory effort in agency history – best known to the broadcast industry as “Delete, Delete, Delete.”
“Outdated and unnecessary regulations from Washington can derail efforts to bring communities across the digital divide,” said Carr. “That is why our Build America Agenda includes a comprehensive initiative to eliminate rules and regulations that are unlawful, outdated, or simply no longer necessary.”
Carr linked the deregulation drive to a broader push for “simple, clear rules” that prioritize speed and reduce legal bottlenecks. His remarks called out the Biden-era FCC’s slower approach to reform and promised a return to a “bias toward action” under President Donald Trump’s renewed administration.
Following the removal of decades-old cable regulations last week during his first FCC Open Meeting as Chairman with a GOP majority, Carr announced the FCC will hold a July vote to fast-track the repeal of 40 additional regulations, spanning more than 17 pages and 7,600 words of federal code.
“The Build America Agenda will inject rocket fuel into our licensing process,” Carr said. “It’s hard to believe we still have regulations for telegraph, rabbit-ear broadcast receivers, and phone booths on our books. Starting this month, that will change.”
Specific regulations in the crosshairs have yet to be revealed, so radio broadcasters will have to wait and see whether that applies to any AM/FM-relevant compliance practices.
Among the comments for the initial “Delete, Delete, Delete” proposal is the NAB’s 80-page deregulation blueprint urging the FCC to eliminate ownership caps, EEO mandates, public inspection file requirements, and technical rules the group says inflate compliance burdens. They are joined in that request by multiple broadcast companies, a bipartisan group of 22 senators, and a coalition of conservative organizations who cited the need for local broadcasters to operate “without handcuffs.”
The FCC’s next Open Meeting is scheduled for July 24.
What a complete crock. The end result of deregulation is ALWAYS the little guy gets hurt, and the big guys make more money. The Republican Party is a joke.
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