It’s the end of the comment period for the long-delayed 2022 Quadrennial Review of the FCC’s rules, and that’s led the NAB to reiterate its calls for the Carr Commission to modernize outdated local radio ownership rules.
The NAB filed comments that urge the FCC to change its ways when it comes to the limits in place for radio station owners. Repeating statements made by the association and President/CEO Curtis LeGeyt, along with Chief Legal Officer Rick Kaplan, unregulated audio platforms represent unprecedented competition for local radio.
Thus, without a level playing field — in the NAB’s eyes more consolidation and fewer ownership groups — “the FCC has unfairly maintained its outdated local radio ownership caps that limit broadcasters’ investment, innovation and service to communities.”
In the filing, NAB asserts three key points of view:
- Local radio ownership limits no longer make sense in today’s media environment, where streaming platforms face no ownership restrictions and can reach 100% of the national audience.
- The FCC still has authority to review each broadcast radio transaction. NAB is simply asking the FCC to eliminate its ex ante rules that prevent pro-consumer transactions from taking place. This does not mean, however, that the FCC will no longer review transactions to determine whether they are in the public interest – it just means that the Commission will no longer apply blanket rules across incredibly diverse markets.
- Forcing broadcasters into uneconomic ownership structures harms listeners, not just stations, by limiting investment and reducing the ability to offer new and diverse local programming.
- A BIA report shows that relaxing or eliminating local radio caps would spur growth in programming diversity, just as Congress’ 1996 reforms did, because broadcasters have strong incentives to differentiate content, not duplicate it.
