And make no mistake about it this is radio’s best chance to get the industry further deregulated. Under Chairman Ajit Pai’s leadership, this is a radio-friendly FCC, and many (not all) radio executives have been pushing for more deregulation in light of increased competition from digital companies such as Google and Facebook that have been scooping advertising dollars up in every market across the country. Here’s what the FCC announced on Wednesday.
The FCC adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking commencing the 2018 Quadrennial Review of the Commission’s media ownership rules. The Commission is legally required to review certain broadcast ownership rules every four years to determine whether they “are necessary in the public interest as the result of competition” and to “repeal or modify any regulation [the Commission] determines to be no longer in the public interest.”
Specifically to radio, the FCC will look at the local radio ownership rule. What does the NPRM mean? The Commission will be accepting comments on whether the rule continue to serve the public interest or whether they should be modified or eliminated in light of changes to the media marketplace.
There is no clear time-frame on when this will come back to the Commission but we will be following the issue very closely for you.
